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The shrinks always say, "The experimental group was subjected to treatment and successfully completed it, and the control group either wasn't subjected to treatment or didn't complete it. The experimental group had a lower rate of re-offending, so that shows the treatment works." Is that really a valid test, though? What about the placebo effect? What about the possibility that those who completed treatment already had a greater tendency to be obedient to authority, which is how they managed to complete treatment? If you want to have a valid test, then subject the control group to a sham treatment program that doesn't include the "active" component. Or, include in the experimental group both those who do and don't successfully complete treatment. It could be that those who are subjected to treatment but don't complete it actually have a higher recidivism rate than those who aren't subjected to any treatment at all. Maybe they say, "Fuck this; if society is going to subject me to this treatment, then I'm just gonna re-offend because it's not worth staying out of prison if I have to go through all this." |