A clinical study was conducted on the effectiveness of a new knee surgery to cure a specific type of arthritis. Of the 219 individuals who met the inclusion criteria, 114 declined to participate. The researchers randomly divided the remaining 105 subject into three groups: One group received type A knee surgery; and the second group received type B knee surgery; a third group received skin incision to make it look like they had received knee surgery, but no actual surgery was performed. The patients in the study did not know which group they were in and in particular did not know if they were receiving the real surgery or simulated surgery. In a two-year follow up, all three groups said they had slightly less pain and better knee movement, but the "fake" surgery group often reported the best results. Was the experiment blind, double blind, or neither. Blind. Double Blind. Neither.
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Bonus Knowledge
This experiment is a great example of a double-blind study! In a double-blind trial, neither the participants nor the researchers know which treatment each participant is receiving, which helps eliminate bias in reporting results. Since the patients had no clue if they were in the surgery groups or receiving a placebo, it preserves the integrity of the data. Interestingly, the phenomenon where participants receiving a placebo report improvements is known as the "placebo effect." This highlights the power of the mind-body connection in healing, illustrating how belief in treatment can sometimes lead to real physiological changes—even when no actual medical intervention occurs!
