Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
10:51
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Published on: January 20, 2012
[Why control conditions are rarely without effect in clinical intervention research]
Erik J Giltay1,2, Saskia le Cessie3
1LUMC, Leiden. Afd. Psychiatrie.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) may be influenced by control group expectations. Even minor contextual factors, like assignment to a control group, can significantly alter outcomes in complex dynamic systems such as psychopathology.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Medical Research Methodology
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