Question

Hello.I would like to ask about two confusing vocabularies, that are: Efficacy and Effectiveness? I would like to distinguish between these two words? Thank you very much for responding me.

GPY · Accepted Answer

In general use, there hardly seems any difference in meaning. My main impression of any difference is that "efficacy" seems a less common and more technical word. Apparently in the technical context of medical trials, a difference in meaning may be observed.

Wilpeter · Answer

Outside of clinical testing and laboratories, testing for safety and benefits is likely not an everyday topic. However, there are two types of test or study performed: Efficacy tests or experiments are done under ideal circumstances with tight controls; Efficiency tests are often real-time tests with actual situations, so the results can only be read in conjunction with the actual data used. If someone claimed that two white mice, put into a certain maze would separately find their way to a compartment containing cheese, a test could be done in one of two ways:
Efficacy – first the mice would be tested for diseases, and kept separate from each other. The maze would be identical for each mouse, and would have been cleaned thoroughly. The exact same weight and type of cheese would be used for both mazes.
Efficiency – two mice would be given a similar amount of time in the same maze an hour apart.

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