Old NID
85109
It’s important that we learn to think critically about one of the most powerful forces in medical research, the placebo effect.
It’s also important to realize that even when placebos (placebo is Latin for “I will please”) have a positive impact, the effects can be short-term and end up masking more serious symptoms, preventing people from seeking reliable and effective treatments.
In an unusual study from New Zealand, university students who were told they were drinking vodka and tonic, but were really sipping a tonic-only placebo, not only acted drunk but also demonstrated worse eyewitness accounts and were more easily swayed by misleading information.
Dr. Placebo — Half Quack and Half Savant by Peter M. Nardi, Miller-McCune
