Howe Lauren C, Goyer J Parker, Crum Alia J
Department of Psychology, Stanford University.
Health Psychol. 2017 Nov;36(11):1074-1082. doi: 10.1037/hea0000499. Epub 2017 Mar 9.
Research on placebo/nocebo effects suggests that expectations can influence treatment outcomes, but placebo/nocebo effects are not always evident. This research demonstrates that a provider's social behavior moderates the effect of expectations on physiological outcomes.
After inducing an allergic reaction in participants through a histamine skin prick test, a health care provider administered a cream with no active ingredients and set either positive expectations (cream will reduce reaction) or negative expectations (cream will increase reaction). The provider demonstrated either high or low warmth, or either high or low competence.
The impact of expectations on allergic response was enhanced when the provider acted both warmer and more competent and negated when the provider acted colder and less competent.
This study suggests that placebo effects should be construed not as a nuisance variable with mysterious impact but instead as a psychological phenomenon that can be understood and harnessed to improve treatment outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record
关于安慰剂/反安慰剂效应的研究表明，期望能够影响治疗结果，但安慰剂/反安慰剂效应并非总是明显的。本研究表明，医疗服务提供者的社会行为会调节期望对生理结果的影响。
通过组胺皮肤点刺试验在参与者身上诱发过敏反应后，一名医疗服务提供者给参与者涂抹一种无活性成分的乳膏，并设定了积极期望（乳膏会减轻反应）或消极期望（乳膏会加重反应）。该提供者表现出高或低的热情，以及高或低的能力。
当提供者表现得更热情且更有能力时，期望对过敏反应的影响会增强；而当提供者表现得更冷漠且能力较低时，这种影响会被抵消。
本研究表明，安慰剂效应不应被视为具有神秘影响的干扰变量，而应被视为一种可以被理解和利用以改善治疗结果的心理现象。（《心理学文摘数据库记录》
