A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is a scientific study designed to test the effectiveness of a treatment or intervention. In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to either a group that receives the treatment or a control group that does not. This random assignment helps ensure that the groups are similar, allowing researchers to isolate the effects of the treatment. RCTs are considered the gold standard in research because they minimize bias and provide reliable results. By comparing outcomes between the treatment and control groups, researchers can determine whether the intervention is truly effective, making RCTs essential in fields like medicine and psychology.