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Placebo

Definition

A placebo is a substance or treatment that has no therapeutic effect, but is given to participants in a study as if it were an active treatment. It is used to compare the effects of the active treatment being studied.

Analogy

Think of a placebo like a sugar pill. Just like how a sugar pill looks and feels like real medication, a placebo may look and feel like the actual treatment being tested. However, just as the sugar pill doesn't have any medicinal properties, the placebo doesn't have any therapeutic effects.

Related terms

Control group: In an experiment, the control group is a group of participants who do not receive the active treatment or intervention being studied. They are often given a placebo instead.

Double-blind study: A double-blind study is an experimental design where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the active treatment and who is receiving the placebo.

Randomization: Randomization refers to assigning participants to different groups (e.g., experimental group vs control group) randomly. This helps ensure that any differences observed between groups are due to the treatment and not other factors.