When conducting an experiment, these people are randomly assigned to this group.
They also closely resemble the participants who are in the experimental group or the individuals who receive the treatment.
Experimenters utilize variables to make comparisons between an experimental group and a control group.
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Avariableis something that researchers can manipulate, measure, and control in an experiment.
The independent variable is the aspect of the experiment that the researchers manipulate (or the treatment).
The dependent variable is what the researchers measure to see if the independent variable had an effect.
Experimenters compare theexperimental groupto the control group to determine if the treatment had an effect.
By serving as a comparison group, researchers can isolate theindependent variableand look at the impact it had.
Control Group vs. To ensure that the results can then be compared accurately, the two groups should be otherwise identical.
Any differences between the two groups are, therefore, the result of the manipulations of the independent variable.
For example, imagine a study in which researchers example how distractions during an exam influence test results.
The results of the exam would then be compared to see the effects that distractions had on test scores.
Uses for Control Groups
Researchers utilize control groups to conduct research in a range of different fields.
An analysis of control-group types in Cochrane and Campbell reviews of psychosocial treatment efficacy with substance use disorders.Addiction.
2015;110(3):420-8. doi:10.1111/add.12799
Myers A, Hansen C.Experimental Psychology.
Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning; 2012.
