health, illness, + the placebo effect

Question 1

placebo

Answer 1

1) treatment that affects someone even though it contains no specific properties relevant to the condition
2) inert substance that causes symptom relief
3) therapy deliberately used for its non-specific psychological / physiological effects

Question 2

static models

Answer 2

consider only one factor in isolation

Question 3

dynamic models

Answer 3

attempt to understand placebo effect as an active process within a wider context

Question 4

What factors affect the placebo effect?

Answer 4

1) characteristics of patient
2) characteristics of treatment
3) involvement of healthcare professionals
4) experimenter bias

Question 5

What characteristics of the patient affect the placebo effect?

Answer 5

1) personality traits
2) emotional aspects
3) circumstances
4) cultural context

Question 6

What characteristics of the treatment affect the placebo effect?

Answer 6

1) must be perceived as real
2) packaging
3) prize
4) colour
5) size
6) where it is administered

Question 7

How does involvement of healthcare professionals affect the placebo effect?

Answer 7

1) hospital administration > GP practice > home
2) empathy + communication
3) time spent in consultation
4) seniority

Question 8

Give examples of a placebo effect.

Answer 8

1) bleeding by leeches to decrease fever
2) travelling to a religious site (taking a pilgrimage)
3) witch doctors