There are some key distinctions between randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in a psychotherapeutic context and a medical context. There are key differences between designing an RCT to evaluate a new drug and an RCT to evaluate a new form of couples therapy. However, it is important to first define and understand the importance of RCTs in research (O'Brien, 2013). O'Brien (2013) defines RCTs as a research technique that has endured through the ages. It was first applied in medical studies. Today, it is a quantitative method widely used in clinical trials where participants answer or confirm a research question. Clinical trials designed with RCTs in a medical context focus on prioritizing the protection of human participants using ethical criteria; however, at the discretion of the researcher (O'Brien, 2013). Randomized controlled trials can be used in several types of evaluations, including new therapies (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy versus emotion-focused therapy in couples treatment), community interventions, and counseling techniques. diagnosis (O’Brien, 2013). The RCT study design randomly assigns participants to an experimental group or a control group. As the study is conducted, the only expected difference between the control and experimental groups is the outcome variable being studied (O'Brien, 2013). There are advantages to using RCTs: firstly, the effect of using randomization will be “wiped out” of any population bias and it is easier to blind than observational studies (O'Brien, 2013). The results can be analyzed with reliable statistical tools and the participants can be clearly identified (O'Brien, 2013). The disadvantage of this method is that it is often expensive and time consuming...... middle of article ......ed clinical trials: part 1 - the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for dysfunction male sexual. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9(12), 3089-3107. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02970.xClinical research. (2013). TCPS 2—2nd edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethics in Research Involving Humans. Retrieved from http://www.ethics.gc.ca/fra/policy-politique/initiatives/tcps2-eptc2/chapter11-chapitre11/ Dunne, RL, Kenardy, J. and Sterling, M. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of PTSD in the context of chronic whiplash. Clinical Journal of Pain, 28(9), 755-765.O'Brien, D. (2009). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In R. Mullner (Ed.), Encyclopedia of health services research. (pp. 1017-1021). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.4135/9781412971942