A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a type of scientific experiment that involves randomly assigning participants to different groups to compare the effects of different interventions or treatments. RCTs are considered the gold standard in research for determining cause-and-effect relationships between a treatment and an outcome. In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group, with the treatment group receiving the intervention being studied and the control group receiving either a placebo or standard treatment. By randomly assigning participants, researchers can minimize bias and ensure that any differences in outcomes between the two groups are likely due to the intervention being studied. RCTs are commonly used in medical research to evaluate the effectiveness of new drugs or therapies, but can also be used in other fields such as education, psychology, and economics.