Placebos Are a Valid Choice

Placebos, (Latin for “I shall please”), have been around since medieval times to treat a variety of ailments. Currently, researchers are using them to examine what effects they will have on the general population, and physicians are prescribing them. Any alteration in a person’s condition derived after receiving a placebo is labeled a placebo effect. There is no debate as to whether the placebo effect is genuine; the dispute lies in what mechanisms cause it to occur. According to Klinger, Soost, Flor and Worm (2007), many mechanisms have been explored, but it remains unclear as to which one fully explains the placebo effect. Conditioning, expectancy, patient-practitioner relationship, and personality are a few of the factors that researchers have determined contribute to the placebo effect. This literary review will explore these theories and elucidate why the use of placebos may be a valid option for some.

Literature Review

Researchers have found that conditioning — the process by which we become trained that one thing happens as a result of another, is an important factor to be considered in the placebo effect. For example, placebo pills alleviate pain because they are associated with effective medicine that has been taken before. Klinger et al. (2007) examined whether the effects of a placebo were due to expectancy, conditioning or a combination of both. They discovered while verbal cues and conditioning work together to create a placebo effect, expectancy and conditioning both influence the placebo effect. They also found that the conditioning process is necessary for longer lasting results. Similarly, Colloca and Benedetti (2006) explored how previous experience or conditioning plays a role in the expectation of th...

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...cebos, more than likely helped their study.

Treatment through placebo is a valid treatment option for individuals that are optimistic, and believe they will work. Conditioning, expectancy, personality, and practitioners characteristics all work together to create the placebo effect. Transparency surrounding the placebo removes the ethical issue and empowers the patient. While Kaptchuk et al.’s (2010) study demonstrated this, it was conducted on a relatively small sample size of IBS suffers. Future research should replicate these findings with a more diverse population and larger sample group. Deception deprives the individual of their right to make an informed decision. Although making sure the patient knows he is taking a placebo is a good start, it is ultimately up to the practitioner to make sure they are administering the placebo appropriately.