The Placebo Effect By Logan Wright In drug testing, a control group is necessary so that the results in the experimental group can be compared against something. Both groups are ideally identical aside from the experimental variable. The experimental group receives the drug, whereas the control group receives a placebo. The placebo is a pill or medication that appears to be the drug, but does not actually contain any active ingredients and thus has no effect on the user. Thus, both groups believe they are taking the drug and both groups expect to experience the effects. The trouble is, the placebo groups frequently do experience the drug’s effects, sometimes as much as those taking the active drug! This baffling phenomenon, known as the placebo effect, is not limited to drug trials, however. Most people experience the placebo effect in various ways everyday. How our own psychological outlook can affect health is still mostly unknown, but you can be sure there are some great brains beavering over it right at this very moment. Dec. 31, 2003 — It’s true that some people who participate in research studies and take inactive medications called placebos do see health improvements. People taking placebos have experienced reduced pain, healed ulcers, eased nausea and even warts disappeared. Share This: 12 The January issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource details several theories on how the placebo effect might work: Benefit from attention: In a placebo-controlled research study, patients often have frequent and intensive medical attention. Some people respond favorably. Stimulus response: People may have a trained positive response to taking a pill or receiving treatment, whether it’s real or not. Beliefs or expectations, including the meaning you attach to a treatment: A person with positive expectations of the treatment may experience the placebo effect more than someone with lower expectations. Relationship with your doctor: A person whose doctor is supportive and positive may experience more benefit from a placebo -- or the standard treatment -- than someone who doesn’t have that relationship. Pleasing your doctor: You feel better because -- consciously or unconsciously -- you want to show your doctor that you’re a good patient and you appreciate the care. Probably a combination of many psychological and physiological mechanisms are at work. Research studies and theories hold important clues to solve the mystery behind the placebo effect, but more research is needed to examine how these factors interplay to produce this healing force.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 03:37:16 +0000
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