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Published on: December 15, 2023
Enhancing treatment effectiveness through social modelling: A pilot study
Kate Faasse1,2, Anna Perera2, Kate Loveys2
1a School of Psychology , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.
Objective:
Medical treatments take place in social contexts; however, little research has investigated how social modelling might influence treatment outcomes. This experimental pilot study investigated social modelling of treatment effectiveness and placebo treatment outcomes.
Design:
Fifty-nine participants took part in the study, ostensibly examining the use of beta-blockers (actually placebos) for examination anxiety. Participants were randomly assigned to observe a female confederate report positive treatment effects (reduced heart rate, relaxed, calm) or feeling no different.
Main Outcome Measures:
Heart rate, anxiety and blood pressure were assessed, as were symptoms and attributed side effects.
Results:
Heart rate decreased significantly more in the social modelling compared to control condition, p = .027 (d = .63), and there were trends towards effects in the same direction for both anxiety, p = .097 (d = .46), and systolic blood pressure, p = .077 (d = .51). Significant pre-post placebo differences in heart rate, anxiety and diastolic blood pressure were found in the social modelling group, ps < .007 (ds = .77-1.37), but not the control condition, ps > .28 (ds = .09-.59).
Conclusions:
Social observation of medication effectiveness enhanced placebo effectiveness in heart rate, and showed a trend towards enhancing treatment effectiveness in both anxiety and systolic blood pressure. Social modelling may have utility in enhancing the effectiveness of many active medical treatments.
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