8.4.2 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

Cards (80)

  • What type of therapy is often compared in RCTs for reducing anxiety symptoms?
    CBT
  • Steps in the methodology of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
    1️⃣ Participant Selection
    2️⃣ Random Assignment
    3️⃣ Blinding
    4️⃣ Intervention
    5️⃣ Outcome Measurement
  • Random assignment in RCTs minimizes bias
  • Match the advantage of RCTs with its description:
    High Validity ↔️ Rigorous design ensures reliability
    Minimizes Bias ↔️ Random allocation and blinding reduce subjectivity
    Identifies Causality ↔️ Establishes cause-and-effect relationships
    Generalizable Results ↔️ Representative samples apply to wider populations
  • What does blinding reduce in RCTs?
    Subjective influences
  • Highly controlled RCT environments may lack ecological validity
  • A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is used to assess the effectiveness of a specific intervention
  • In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group.
  • Blinding in RCTs helps minimize bias by keeping participants and/or researchers unaware of group assignments.
  • Why are RCTs crucial in health psychology?
    Evaluating treatments and lifestyle changes
  • One objective of RCTs is to determine if a treatment achieves its intended goals in improving mental and physical health
  • RCTs can identify causal relationships by reducing the influence of confounding factors.
  • Steps involved in the methodology of RCTs
    1️⃣ Participant Selection
    2️⃣ Random Assignment
    3️⃣ Blinding
    4️⃣ Intervention
    5️⃣ Outcome Measurement
  • Blinding in RCTs reduces the risk of performance bias.
  • What is the purpose of administering the treatment in an RCT?
    Testing its efficacy
  • An RCT evaluates an intervention's effectiveness
  • RCTs evaluate intervention effectiveness by determining if a treatment achieves its intended health goals
  • What type of relationships do RCTs aim to identify?
    Causal relationships
  • In RCTs, participants are chosen based on specific eligibility criteria
  • Blinding in RCTs reduces performance bias.
  • What is measured during the outcome measurement step in an RCT?
    Health outcomes
  • What is the primary goal of blinding in RCTs?
    Minimize bias
  • In RCTs, health outcomes are compared between groups to determine the intervention's effectiveness
  • Participant selection in RCTs ensures the study population is relevant.
  • Why is random assignment used in RCTs?
    Minimize bias
  • In an RCT for diabetes management, glucose levels are measured to assess diet effectiveness
  • High validity is an advantage of RCTs due to their rigorous design.
  • What type of relationship do RCTs help identify between an intervention and its outcomes?
    Causal relationship
  • RCTs can determine the effectiveness of a new medication by comparing it to a placebo group.
  • What is a major limitation of RCTs regarding feasibility?
    High cost
  • RCTs often require extended timeframes to observe long-term effects
  • RCTs may lack ecological validity due to their highly controlled environments.
  • What ethical concern arises from withholding beneficial treatments in RCTs?
    Random allocation
  • Maintaining participant adherence is a challenge in long-term RCTs.
  • What is the primary purpose of a control group in an RCT?
    Serve as a baseline
  • In RCTs, blinding keeps participants and/or researchers unaware of group assignments
  • RCTs in health psychology identify causal relationships between interventions and health outcomes.
  • What is an example of an RCT in health psychology using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
    Reducing anxiety symptoms
  • Steps in the methodology of RCTs
    1️⃣ Participant Selection
    2️⃣ Random Assignment
    3️⃣ Blinding
    4️⃣ Intervention
    5️⃣ Outcome Measurement
  • Informed consent ensures participants are fully aware of the study's purpose and risks.