Nudge The experiment every marketer should know
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Jan 10, 2025 Discover the fascinating origins of randomized controlled trials, starting with James Lind's groundbreaking work on scurvy. Explore how racial biases in hiring and educational structures can be analyzed through these trials. Uncover how family dynamics affect leadership choices in businesses, particularly how a CEO's firstborn influences succession decisions. Finally, learn how RCTs empower companies like Subway to refine marketing strategies and better understand consumer preferences.
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Scurvy's Toll and Early Treatments
- Scurvy killed over two million sailors between the 1500s and 1800s.
- Proposed cures included rinsing mouths with urine and sulfuric acid remedies, highlighting the lack of scientific basis.
James Lind's Scurvy Trial
- James Lind conducted the first RCT on scurvy, dividing patients into groups receiving different remedies.
- The group given citrus fruits recovered quickly, demonstrating the power of RCTs.
RCTs: Correlation vs. Causation
- Lind's RCT shifted research from observational correlation to interventional causation.
- Random assignment eliminated bias, isolating cause-effect relationships between treatment and recovery.
