The chance occurrence of substantial initial differences between groups in studies based on random allocation.

Radhakrishna, S.; Sutherland, Ian.

Applied Statistics; 1962; 11; 47-54.

When the merits of different treatments are being studied and subjects are allocated to the treatment groups at random, undesirably large initial differences between the groups sometimes occur. Incorrect conclusions may be drawn if these differences are ignored. In this paper the authors recommend the use of a statistical technique such as analysis of covariance or standardisation to adjust the results for pretreatment differences.

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