What does "intervention" refer to in experimental research?

In the context of experimental research, "intervention" specifically refers to the treatment or procedure that is being tested to determine its effects on a particular outcome. This concept is central to experimental designs, which seek to establish causality by systematically manipulating an independent variable (the intervention) and observing the changes it produces in a dependent variable.

By designing a study around an intervention, researchers aim to assess its effectiveness and gain insight into how it may impact participants. For instance, in a clinical trial, the intervention could be a new drug, therapy, or educational program intended to improve health outcomes or behavior. The focus on the intervention allows researchers to draw conclusions about its value and implications based on the data collected during the experiment.

Other options refer to components of the research process that do not align with the definition of an intervention. For example, a procedure not related to treatment would not provide relevant insights into the effects of the intervention being studied, while surveys conducted post-experiment are tools for data collection rather than the interventions themselves. Likewise, methods for collecting data pertain to research methodology but do not specifically define what is meant by "intervention."