Tutorial 9: Placebo Response

Question 1

Placebo

Answer 1

an inert treatment i.e. substance has no active ingredient

Question 2

Placebo response

Answer 2

The improvement in health or recovery from illness, brought about through the placebo effect plus the non-specific effects of the clinical or treatment context

Question 3

Expectation of improvement

Answer 3

• Benefit from treatment occurs because patients expect it to
• Can be influenced by verbal or written suggestions, social learning, patient-doctor interaction, previous experience, appearance of treatment, etc.
• Particularly relevant to pain relief

Question 4

Classical conditioning for placebo

Answer 4

Placebo becomes conditioned stimulus and produces a conditioned response

UCS = Active ingredient of treatment

UCR = Therapeutic effect from active ingredient (e.g. pain relief)

CS = Stimuli associated/paired with active ingredient (e.g. capsule)

CR = Same effect as the active ingredient (e.g. pain relief)

Question 5

Open administration in placebo effect

Answer 5

Patient aware of when they will receive medication

Question 6

Hidden administration in placebo efffect

Answer 6

Patient not aware of when they will receive medication