What type of study design involves subjects being randomly assigned to groups following a specific intervention?

What type of study design involves subjects being randomly assigned to groups following a specific intervention?

• A. Descriptive study
• B. Case-control study
• C. Factorial design
• D. Cohort study

Answer: (C)

The type of study design that involves subjects being randomly assigned to groups following a specific intervention is known as a factorial design. This design allows researchers to assess the effects of multiple interventions or treatments simultaneously by randomly allocating participants into different groups that receive various combinations of the interventions being tested. The random assignment is crucial as it helps minimize selection bias and ensures that the groups are comparable, which enhances the validity of the study's findings. In a factorial design, each participant is part of one of the groups based on the predetermined combinations of factors being studied. This design not only evaluates each treatment's individual effects but also allows for the exploration of interaction effects between treatments, providing comprehensive insight into their efficacies. In contrast, descriptive studies do not involve interventions or random assignments; they are primarily used for observational purposes. Case-control studies are retrospective and compare individuals with a specific condition to those without it but do not involve random assignment to interventions. Cohort studies examine subjects over time to see how different exposures affect outcomes but also lack random assignment to treatment groups. Each of these designs serves different research purposes and methodologies, highlighting the unique nature of factorial design in experimental research.

The type of study design that involves subjects being randomly assigned to groups following a specific intervention is known as a factorial design. This design allows researchers to assess the effects of multiple interventions or treatments simultaneously by randomly allocating participants into different groups that receive various combinations of the interventions being tested. The random assignment is crucial as it helps minimize selection bias and ensures that the groups are comparable, which enhances the validity of the study's findings.

In a factorial design, each participant is part of one of the groups based on the predetermined combinations of factors being studied. This design not only evaluates each treatment's individual effects but also allows for the exploration of interaction effects between treatments, providing comprehensive insight into their efficacies.

In contrast, descriptive studies do not involve interventions or random assignments; they are primarily used for observational purposes. Case-control studies are retrospective and compare individuals with a specific condition to those without it but do not involve random assignment to interventions. Cohort studies examine subjects over time to see how different exposures affect outcomes but also lack random assignment to treatment groups. Each of these designs serves different research purposes and methodologies, highlighting the unique nature of factorial design in experimental research.