465. The psychology of the placebo effect

In this bonus episode, we’re looking at the placebo effect - what it is, how it became an important part of medical research, and why an inactive treatment can sometimes produce genuine changes how we feel, and what this tells us about the relationship between the brain, body and experience of receiving care.

The FULL Debunking Psychology playlist: HERE

We explore:

•        How placebos became an important part of scientific research

•        Some of the earliest placebo experiments

•        Why our expectations can change the way we experience symptoms

•        Whether the placebo effect produces real, biological changes

•        Why the ritual of receiving care may itself influence how we feel

•        Whether placebo effects represent genuine, lasting change

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