noun
control group
kuhn-TROHL GROOP
Control group (noun) means In an experiment, the group of participants or samples that does not receive the treatment being tested, used as a baseline against which the treated group is compared. Example: “Half the volunteers took the drug and the control group took a placebo.”
noun
1
technical In an experiment, the group of participants or samples that does not receive the treatment being tested, used as a baseline against which the treated group is compared.
"Half the volunteers took the drug and the control group took a placebo."
"Without a control group you cannot tell whether the improvement came from the training."
How to use control group
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe group in a study that is left untreated so you can see what difference the treatment makes.
When to use it
Standard scientific and statistical vocabulary.
Memory tip
Note the difference between a control group, which is people or samples, and a controlled variable, which is a condition held constant.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a randomised control group
assigned to the control group
compared with the control group
no control group
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Half the volunteers took the drug and the _____ took a placebo.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
treatment group
experimental group
Related words
Rhymes for control group
See all rhymes for control group →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a control group and an experimental group?
The experimental group receives the treatment or intervention under investigation; the control group is handled identically in every other respect but does not receive it. Comparing the two shows how much of any change can be credited to the treatment itself.
Is a control group the same as a placebo group?
A placebo group is one kind of control group, used where participants might improve simply because they believe they are being treated. Other controls receive nothing at all, or the existing standard treatment, depending on what the study needs to rule out and what is ethical.
Why does an experiment need a control group?
Because people and systems change for many reasons — time, attention, natural recovery, chance. A control group experiences all of those influences without the treatment, so any extra difference in the treated group can reasonably be attributed to the treatment.
What is the meaning of control group?
"control group" (noun) means in an experiment, the group of participants or samples that does not receive the treatment being tested, used as a baseline against which the treated group is compared.
