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control group

Definition of Control Group

(noun) In an experiment, the subjects not exposed to the independent variable to ensure the validity of the results.

Example of Control Group

  • Through pre- (before) and post- (after) testing, exploring whether exposure to six-weeks of anti-violence training produces measurable change among the participants, the control group is the one that is not provided any training.

Control Group Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: con·trol group

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /kuhn-trOHl grOOp/
  • British English – /kuhn-trOHl grOOp/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /kənˈtroʊl grup/
  • British English – /kənˈtrəʊl gruːp/

Usage Notes

Additional Information

Related Terms

Contributor: C. E. Seaman


Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Control Group

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Seaman, C. E. 2015. “control group.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary, edited by Kenton Bell. Retrieved March 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/control-group/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

Seaman, C. E. (2015). control group. In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/control-group/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Seaman, C. E. 2015. “control group.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary, edited by Kenton Bell. Accessed March 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/control-group/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

Seaman, C. E. “control group.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/control-group/>.