One of the critical decisions that researchers make when designing a controlled trial is the choice of the control: what should be the control group? The answer depends on what we're interested in testing. The distinction I make here is an important one to keep in mind.

0:00 An underappreciated distinction.
0:34 What is a passive control group?
1:36 What is an active control group?

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REFERENCES

A good explanation of the difference between passive control groups and active control groups begins on page 116, here: Simons, D. J., Boot, W. R., Charness, N., Gathercole, S. E., Chabris, C. F., Hambrick, D. Z., & StineMorrow, E. A. L. (2016). Do “BrainTraining” Programs Work? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(3), 103–186. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100616661983