A group that does not receive the treatment, used as a baseline for comparison.
A negative control receives no treatment; a positive control gives a known effect to show the method works. Placebo controls and blinding reduce bias in clinical trials.
Controls show that the effect is due to the treatment. Blinding prevents expectation bias. Positive controls confirm the method works.
Remember: without a control, the result cannot be interpreted.
A group that does not receive the treatment, used as a baseline for comparison.
Control Group is one of the 51 topics in Lab Methods & Biostatistics. It is rated Beginner, so it suits learners who are starting out in biology. Related topics in this area include Null Hypothesis, Experimental Design, Reproducibility in Science.
In a drug trial, one group receives a placebo.
Control Group is a Beginner topic, so no earlier topic is required. Other Beginner topics in Lab Methods & Biostatistics that pair well with it include Scientific Method, Hypothesis, Variables.
The closest topics to Control Group are Null Hypothesis, Experimental Design, Reproducibility in Science, FRET. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Control Group. To practise the whole of Lab Methods & Biostatistics, use the Lab Methods & Biostatistics quiz.
Control Group: A group that does not receive the treatment, used as a baseline for comparison. Null Hypothesis: The default assumption of no effect or difference, which data may lead us to reject. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Null Hypothesis and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Lab Methods & Biostatistics quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
The default assumption of no effect or difference, which data may lead us to reject.
📊 Lab Methods & BiostatisticsRandomisation, replication, blocking and blinding reduce bias and confounding.
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📊 Lab Methods & Biostatistics