Editing 1462: Blind Trials
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | In research, a {{w|Blind Experiment|blind trial}} is an experiment where certain information about the test is concealed from the subjects and/or the testers, in order to reduce sources of bias in the results. A double-blind trial is one where neither the subject nor the testers know who has | + | In research, a {{w|Blind Experiment|blind trial}} is an experiment where certain information about the test is concealed from the subjects and/or the testers, in order to reduce sources of bias in the results. A scientific approach requires the use of {{w|control groups}} to determine the significance of observations in (clinical) trials. The members of the control group receive either no treatment or the "standard" treatment. A double-blind trial is one where neither the subject nor the testers know who has received treatment, or who is in the control group. |
− | + | Controls and blinding are crucial to distinguish the actual effects of the treatment from the {{w|placebo effect}}. A subject's belief in whether or not a treatment will help them can cause measurable physiological changes, good or bad. It is vital that there are no clues available to distinguish between the different groups. Even subtle cues from the body language of the testers are sufficient to trigger placebo effect, making double-blind trials necessary. | |
− | + | In a clinical drugs trial, the most common method of blinding is to give the control group a sugar pill with no medicinal value, but identical in appearance to the actual medicine. | |
− | + | Challenges exist in designing placebo alternatives to certain physical treatments that might be being tested, such as acupuncture; in this case the best quality trials have typically used either special 'joke' retractable needles that only give the illusion of proper penetration or the practitioner/researcher deliberately and safely avoids the traditional {{w|Meridian_(Chinese_medicine)|meridians}} on the body for the treatment concerned so that the patient remains 'blind' to their role in the trial (the practitioner must otherwise be consistent in treatment between groups and not be involved in the medical assessment phase for properly double-blinded conditions), where the most reliable results still seem to only show a significant placebo effect at work. | |
− | + | There are, however, certain cases where it is almost impossible to make the experience of the control group identical to that of the test group. While making a real and fake pill appear the same is a relatively trivial task, and though depending upon the ignorance of participants to the details of a given established practice or procedure can allow for a certain level of reliability in results, it would be challenging (to say the least) to make the control group in the described experiment think that they are having lots of sex, when in fact they are just taking a sugar pill. | |
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− | There are, however, certain cases where it is almost impossible to make the experience of the control group identical to that of the test group. | ||
Scientific research involving humans is extremely challenging to conduct because of the difficulty in finding appropriate control groups. This is one of the reasons animal experiments (for instance involving inbred strains of mice) are so common. | Scientific research involving humans is extremely challenging to conduct because of the difficulty in finding appropriate control groups. This is one of the reasons animal experiments (for instance involving inbred strains of mice) are so common. | ||
− | The title text adds another twist by taking “blind” literally, and noting that for some people, being blindfolded increases their enjoyment of sexual activity | + | The title text adds another twist by taking “blind” literally, and noting that for some people, being blindfolded increases their enjoyment of sexual activity. |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:Both groups will ''think'' they're having lots of sex, but one group will actually be getting sugar pills. | :Both groups will ''think'' they're having lots of sex, but one group will actually be getting sugar pills. | ||
+ | :[Caption reads] | ||
:The limitations of blind trials | :The limitations of blind trials | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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