Submitted by Nearby-Cloud-3476 t3_y3xbur in askscience
Eqvvi t1_iseqxj6 wrote
Yes, Alia Crum and Ellen Langer did a similar experiment to test whether physical exercise can actually be unhelpful if the person doesn't believe it IS exercise. They tested it on hotel housekeepers: gave some of them a presentation on how their work provides healthy exercise and the control group got nothing. The group that got the presentation improved on most of the parameters they measured. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17425538/
​
It has also been tested with painkillers. If morphine is administered by a hidden IV after thoracic surgery patients don't experience as much relief as the ones who get it from a doctor (thus aware of it when it happens). They also tested it on Parkinson's disease treatment, hypertension and anxiety.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-07872-001
​
And as others have mentioned, there are also studies on nocebos, that actually generate negative effects rather than just blunting the effects of a treatment.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments