The group of participants in an experiment who receive the intervention, manipulation, or condition being tested. Their outcomes are compared to a control group to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
Developed alongside control group methodology in experimental science. 'Treatment' originally referred to medical interventions but expanded to include any experimental manipulation in psychology, from therapy to educational programs to environmental changes.
The treatment group gets the 'special sauce' that researchers think will make a difference! But remember, sometimes the treatment group does worse than controls—not all interventions are beneficial, and some can be harmful.
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