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From the article: In the study, 112 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 40 took part. Their guilt was measured at the beginning using questionnaires including the state shame and guilt scale (SSGS). This questionnaire asks people whether they feel remorse or bad about something they’ve done. Next, the participants did an exercise intended to make them feel more guilty. The exercise involved writing a story about a time they had treated someone they loved unfairly.

The participants were then divided into three groups. One group received a “deceptive placebo”: a blue pill they were told was a real drug. Specifically, they were told that the pill contained phytopharmacon, a substance designed to reduce the feeling of guilt by making whoever took it feel calmer.

Another group received an “open-label placebo” – the same blue pill, but this group was told it was a placebo. They were told that placebos benefit many people through mind-body self-healing mechanisms.

The third group did not receive any treatment at all. This was the “control” group.

After getting the treatment, the guilty feelings were measured using the same questionnaires to see whether the deceptive placebo or open-label placebo was more effective than no treatment.

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My guess? Conditioned response.

Take a pill>chemical changes>feel better.

Do that for a few years, and then you can probably remove the middle step to some degree

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It's not a real placebo if they know.

Thank you. And, also this study broke the "blinds" by telling people what they getting. That's not a double-blind study.

But it never claimed to be a double blind study? Not all experiments are double blind…hell, not all experiments are even single blind.

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True, but If it's not a double blind study then you can't eliminate the possibility that the respondents aren't reporting the information they think the researchers want to hear. It taints the evidence - biases the sample - especially in human trials.

I've read a number of these "we broke the blinds" placebo studies, and they always find that the people who know they are getting a placebo report extreme results. And, my conclusion is: "of course, they did! They knew that's what the researchers wanted to hear."

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This is why I go out and eat. I live alone and it’s lonely being stuck at home all day. I know food is more expensive but at least I interact with people

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Try benches and bus stops. Many people out there just waiting for you to engage conversation.

100%

I literally just had a beautiful conversation with another person trying to find the right tram stop.

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I was told of a study done to find what color of paint improved morale and productivity. So they’d come in and repaint the same office frequently. They discovered it wasn’t the paint color. It was the act of painting and spiffing up the office.

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so new article of "WHO COULD BELIVE THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!": saying people "it's fine" works?

I think what they'd do with that information is paint the walls White, and then installing LEDs along the walls to give them the appearance of new colors.

Well humans are social creatures and despite being more connected than ever, it almost feels like never enough people reach out to those that might be interested in group activities.

I wonder if there's any studies on group dynamics, happiness among friends, and how they feel with "Stranger Engagement"

The exercise is the problem: this is literally how you work through any uncomfortable feelings. You share them in any form and this is how people get relief.

Honestly I'd suggest you look into volunteering with assisted living facilities. My uncle was in one for years due to his health concerns and the number of lovely people abandoned there is heartbreaking.

You can definitely find some sharp minds and lonely hearts who will live for your visits.

No, it wasn’t the color. The color didn’t matter at all.

It was the presence of the people going to a lot of work to paint the office. Each time they came, it was a shot in the arm.

The changing lights aren’t going to do that.

Well, first of all. They are not demonstrating causality with this study because the only scientific method to do that is through multiple confirming double blind randomized controlled trials ("RCT"). That's sort of my point in my previous posts.

If there is a method to test causality of the placebo effect, that's the only way to go about it. (I'm a statistician, btw, that's why I believe this to be the case.)

The placebo in RCTs isn't given to prove the placebo effect exists. It's given to create a control group on the presumption that the placebo effect may exist. It's given to account for the possibility of a placebo effect.

I'm not really sure how to test the causality of the placebo effect but, i would point out that there really isn't any reason to presume that there is a singular cause to the placebo effect. And, asking me to do that in relation to this study is shifting the burden of proof. It's not on me to prove that. It's on the authors of this study to demonstrate that they have.

They did have a control group, you know...it is usually best to read the content before criticizing the researchers' basic competency. In fact, assuming their competence is among the subreddit's rules.

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Is there a term for this? We have placebo and nocebo. Maybe this is “knowncebo”?

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Thank you for this. I spend about 90% of my time alone. I’d love to be able to cheer somebody up. Elderly people can be so witty and charming. I even like the grumpy ones :)

I understand this so much. If you ever want to talk a kit something not involving politics or religion, DM me. I can show you pics of my puppy or something :)

Why wouldn't they? A placebo used intentionally can also be effective.

in theory could i trick myself into this with candy? like one swedish fish a day to keep the guilt away.

i didn’t read more than the headline so

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We just call them jelly beans. No need to get fancy.

Lying to ourselves helps us.

How very, human

Kind of like say if you wash your hands repeatedly.

Great! Just what we needed, a medication for guilt...

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Or placebo, why are we trying to cure guilt?

In which science describes the effects of "religion" and "praying."

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I agree, but it looks like the placebo group were more positively affected than the control group, who also went through that part.

Yes, it is. It's called an open-label placebo.

Probably not. Having other people (the researchers) approve and validate the process is key.

You know that they know that you're trying to feel less guilty, and since they're "on your side" whether through placebo or not, you're receiving tacit approval.

"hey this pill will make you feel less guilty, do you feel less guilty"

"Sure?”

Great study.

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Some just call it the Eucharist.

If the shoe fits

Hahahaha I like how this one thinks!

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Can you decide on the placebo and administer it to yourself, with the same effect as if a doctor or researcher defined and administered the placebo?

I would imagine its like tickling, you can't do it to yourself - as in you can't give yourself a placebo just like you can't tickle yourself

Questionnaire-based studies like this are of low scientific quality and do not actually control for response biases (Including Hawthorne effect) due to impossibility of blinding. It is quite possible the effect is just a change in questionnaire answering behaviour and not an actual reduction in guilt.

A more robust methodology would to objectively measure effect of guilt on real world behaviours.

I wonder if going to confession or repenting works like this

Sounds like how religion works. Just need an authority that everyone agrees on to affirm you are doing your best and you feel better about yourself

This is religion in a nutshell.