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Placebo Effect
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A placebo effect is a phenomenon which may result in some therapeutic
effect in subjects given placebo.
Experimental Research
* 1Experimental Research
* 2Research Variables
+ 2.1Independent Variable
+ 2.2Dependent Variable
+ 2.3Controlled Variables
+ 2.4Third Variable
* 3Cause and Effect
+ 3.1Control Group
+ 3.2Research Bias
+ 3.3Social Science Subjects
o 3.3.1Placebo Effect
o 3.3.2Double Blind Method
* 4Conducting an Experiment
+ 4.1Randomized Controlled Trials
+ 4.2Pretest-Posttest
+ 4.3Solomon Four Group
+ 4.4Between Subjects
+ 4.5Within Subject
+ 4.6Repeated Measures
+ 4.7Counterbalanced Measures
+ 4.8Matched Subjects
[3.3.1 Placebo Effect____________]
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A placebo is a sham medical intervention that exploits the
hope/expectancy-effect to the treatment. It involves giving subject an
inert sugar pill, and he/she is told that it may improve the condition,
but the person is completely unaware of the fact that it is inert.
In medicine, it has been observed that patient’s belief does indeed
sometimes result in therapeutic effect and cause patient’s condition to
improve.
Placebo treatment is widely practices in medicine, and it has been
recognized to have clinically important effects. A placebo has been
defined as a substance or any procedure that is given objectively
without any specific activity for the condition being treated.
Indeed, wide variety of things can be considered placebo and do show
placebo effect. These may include pharmacological substances like
pills, inhalants, creams, injections or even medical devices such as
ultrasound, surgery, acupuncture to name few.
In one study, it was observed that patient recovery can be enhanced
with positive suggestions and comments by the physician like
“you will certainly be better in few days with this treatment”
and if the patient is given negative words like
“I am not sure that this treatment can work for you”
it negatively affect the recovery of patient.
How it Works?
The placebo effect phenomenon is related to the perception and
expectations of the subject. If subject see it helpful, it can heal,
and if viewed as harmful, it can cause negative effects or what is
known as nocebo effect.
Both expectations and conditioning play an important role in placebo
effect and make different kind of contribution.
The expectancy effect is seen to be enhanced through factors like
positive attitude of doctor, different in color and size of placebo
pills, or use of injections. In one study, researchers found that
response to placebo treatment was increased from 44% to 62% when the
healthcare professional gave them warmth, attention, and confidence.
Conditioning on the other hand exerts long lasting effects and it seems
to affect early stages of information processing. However, as placebo
effect is based upon conditioning and expectations of the subject, the
effect is seen to disappear if the subject is informed that his/her
expectations are unrealistic, or that placebo treatment is completely
ineffective.
Despite ongoing controversy concerning use of placebo therapy, there
are number of reports showing positive effects of placebo treatment.
Placebo seems to work in alleviating pain, anxiety, depression,
Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and even cancer.
Remarkable recovery of “Mr. Wright” from a deadly cancer is just an
example of placebo treatment. Placebo effects seems not only be arise
from conscious belief but also from subconscious associations between
recovery and treatment as researchers has found that placebo effect
does arise from active processes in brain.
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Double Blind Method
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