Kontrollrühm

Kontrollrühm is a German term that has appeared in some scientific texts to denote the control group in an experimental design. In contemporary German, the standard term is Kontrollgruppe; Kontrollrühm is now rare and mainly found in older literature or in certain regional usages. The word combines Kontrolle (control) with Rühm, an archaic or formal form for group or assembly, reflecting older Germanic usage.

Usage in experiments follows the same principle as the control group: the Kontrollrühm does not receive the experimental intervention or receives a standard treatment or placebo, providing a baseline for comparison. Data from the Kontrollrühm are compared with data from the experimental group to assess the effect of the intervention. The term is most commonly encountered in historical texts, textbooks, or translations, rather than in current practice.

Notes and considerations: because Rühm can carry other meanings in German (for example, an army unit or choir in some contexts), the term Kontrol rühm can be ambiguous to modern readers. For clarity and consistency, most current German-language writing uses Kontrollgruppe rather than Kontrollrühm. The concept it represents is equivalent to the English term “control group,” including its role in study design, randomization, and placebo controls.

See also: Kontrollgruppe, Placebo, Randomisierung.