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double blind

double blind

10 5.1
A test in which neither participants nor researchers know who gets the treatment
  • noun
  • /ˈdʌbəl blaɪnd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ensayo doble ciego
  • The subjects were all selected at random in a double-blind approach.
  • double blind trial
  • double blind study
  • double blind design

So it's a true blind, a double-blind, double-blind, double-blind, like a study, right?

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Examples

  • The 2,304 children from 15 schools, selected through double-blind random sampling, were examined for dental caries and oral hygiene status.

    Academic text (2007)
  • This has been now done in several double-blind placebo-controlled studies.

  • A prospective double-blind trial was the only type expected to provide relevant information.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Their standard is higher, requiring critical double-blind tests that meet certain scientific criteria.

    Blog text (30)
  • The gold standard in empirical studies is a double-blind randomized controlled experiment.

    Academic text (2017)
  • We're conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial throughout the United States.

  • The study was designed as a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind efficacy trial.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Taking DHA 900 mg/day has been shown to improve memory in one double-blind placebo-controlled study.

    Blog text (9)
  • In a double blind trial, neither the volunteers nor the researchers know who receives the actual treatment.

Synonyms

double-blind study
vsdouble blind
  • Specialized
2 4.2

An experiment where neither participants nor researchers know who gets the real treatment or a fake one to avoid bias

is the broader concept covering such methods across contexts
double-blind procedure
vsdouble blind
  • Specialized
5.4

An experiment where neither the people nor the researchers know who gets the real medicine

is the general term for that way of preventing bias
double-blind experiment
vsdouble blind
  • Specialized
5.1

An experiment where neither the participants nor the researchers know who is in which group

is the general notion of that testing arrangement in various settings

Antonyms

unblinded
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A study where doctors and patients know which treatment people get

How Blind

double blind
  • Specialized
10 5.1
unblinded
  • Specialized
1 6.8

Surface Forms

double blind singular
double blinds plural

Morphology

double + blind

The meaning is directly compositional: 'double' (twofold) modifies 'blind' (unaware), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer that two parties are unaware of treatment allocation. This modifier+noun pattern is common in English and many languages (e.g. 'double-blind' trials), making the term immediately predictable from its parts.

Etymology

Double blind is a term that gives a simple image: two people are blind to who gets the real treatment, so 'double' means two. That's why a double blind test keeps both the patient and the researcher from knowing who gets the treatment and helps 'prevent bias'.