Placebo Effect and Smart Guy

Psychology Basis

Placebo Effect

Placebo Effect- a phenomenon in which participants taking a placebo react as if they were receiving treatment, simply because they believe they are actually receiving treatment.

• Often associated with sugar pills.

Media

TJ Mo

• TJ is a 10 year old boy in the forth grade who excels in school and is moved up to the 10th grade at Piedmont High School.

• Mo is TJ’s older brother Marcus’ best friend who is also in 10th grade at Piedmont High School.

Mo does not do well in school.

TJ does very well in school despite being in a higher grade.

TJ needs to conduct a Placebo Effect experiment for his Behavioral Psychology class.

Connection

• TJ makes a batch of sugar pills and tells MO that they are neuroenhancers that will make him smarter.

• Mo gladly accepts the “neuroenhancers” and takes them for studying and testing purposes.

Mo is pleased to see that he received an 80% on his first test since taking the pills.

Mo also explains that it was because of the pills that he actually understood the plot to Mission Impossible.

“I explore the placebo effect on humans by examining how in a controlled situation a person with limited ability can excel just by using the power of suggestion.” -TJ• Placebo effect: Also called the placebo response. A

remarkable phenomenon in which a placebo -- a fake treatment, an inactive substance like sugar, distilled water, or saline solution -- can sometimes improve a patient's condition simply because the person has the expectation that it will be helpful.

• Valid? Yes

Connection/Validity

Connection/Validity• “As soon as I popped the pills my powers of

concentration were amazing.” -Mo

• Multiple scientific studies have been conducted on the placebo effect.

• The controlled group often believes that they had some sort of reaction whether it was positive or negative.

• Valid? Yes

• TJ finally explains to Mo that he was getting the good grades on his own as the pills were just placebos.

• “There’s nothing in the pills. They’re just sugar. It was an experiment to make you think you were smarter.” –TJ

• Mo is still convinced the pills were helping regardless of what TJ told him.

• Mo begins to make sugar pills on his own and his grades continue to improve.

Connection/Validity

• “You do realize they have absolutely no effect on your brain?”

• “I know no such thing.” -Mo

• Some studies have shown that subjects who are fully aware that they are taking placebos report that they see improvements.

• Valid Yes. Although studies show that when subjects are unaware that they are taking a placebo there is a greater number of reactions.

Connection/Validity

My ThoughtsI feel the writers of Smart Guy had a good

understanding of the placebo effect as Mo’s positive reaction to the pills is much like that of subjects who took part in studies.

However, there was no research found in which the subjects were not only aware that they were taking a placebo, but were actually creating said placebo.

I feel the episode did a good job recreating this controlled study as well as explaining the placebo effect before the experiment took place.

References• Class notes

• http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/placebos-work-even-when-you-know-10-12-23/

• http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/dec/22/placebo-effect-patients-sham-drug

• http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=31481