Group
control groups
[ kuhn-trohl groops ]
Subclass of:
Epidemiologic Research Design; Research Design
Definitions related to control groups:
  • A group of people in a medical study who receive either no treatment or the standard treatment, which is compared against a group who receive the treatment being studied.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • A group used as a standard of comparison in a control experiment.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A study population that is defined for the purpose of comparison to the treatment group in a controlled trial. In an epidemiological study, a study population that does not have the outcome of interest.
    CDISC Terminology
    Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
  • In a clinical trial, the group that does not receive the new treatment being studied. This group is compared to the group that receives the new treatment, to see if the new treatment works.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • The group of subjects in a controlled study that receives, for example, no treatment, a standard treatment, or a placebo.
    CDISC Terminology
    Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC), 2021
  • Groups that serve as a standard for comparison in experimental studies. They are similar in relevant characteristics to the experimental group but do not receive the experimental intervention.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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