PSY 433 Lecture 9: 9
29 Jul 2020
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Document Summary
The object of study determines the scientific method of exploration. Stars are scanned with telescopes, bacteria under microscopes. In most health-related disciplines (whether physical or mental) it is accepted that a treatment must provide evidence to demonstrate that it is effective. Clinical trials are often used for this purpose. The randomized "double-blind" placebo-controlled clinical trial is currently the regal method for obtaining evidence of the functionof atreatment. This method was designed for pharmacological research, and works extraordinarily in that field. Neither those receiving the treatment nor those who evaluate the effect know the assigned group ("double-blind"). The goodness of this method is obvious: if experimental treatment produces benefits over placebo, these will certainly be attributable to the active substance. Unfortunately, themyoria of tnf cannot be investigated in this way for the simple reason that it is not possible to encapsulate the active substance, i. e. "placebos" cannot be administered.
