Arguments For Placebos:
- Mind over matter. The body has powerful, natural recuperative abilities and a placebo could help facilitate this.
- Acts as a psychological boost, that a person's positive attitude may be important in recovery from illness.
- The placebo effect may be a measurement of changed behavior affected by a belief in the treatment.
Arguments Against Placebos:
Placebo-related changes could be over-estimated because:
- With chronic pain conditions or mood disorders, patients may show spontaneous improvement.
- Placebo effects can result from contact with doctors, perhaps a diagnosis or simple attention from a respected professional alleviates anxiety.
- The patient, in order to please the doctor, might report benefit when no benefit has occurred. In other words, the "politeness effect."
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