Negative lay perceptions of open-label placebo users may pose barriers to intervention adoption

Recent research has revealed that the use of specific medical interventions carries with it social stigma. This "intervention stigma" can pose an obstacle to the use and adoption of interventions that may otherwise be effective in managing medical conditions. Open-label placebos (OLPs) have been identified as a potential intervention for a variety of clinical and nonclinical conditions but are viewed with skepticism among lay populations.

This online experimental study aimed to quantify intervention stigma associated with the use of OLP interventions for a medical condition within a warmth-competence framework of social perception.

In an online experiment fielded in the USA (N = 541), we randomly assigned participants to read 1 of 4 vignettes about a patient who is administered an OLP intervention by a physician for chronic back pain. In each vignette, the patient's belief in and response to the treatment varied. After reading the vignette, participants rated the patient on several characteristics that captured perceptions of warmth and competence.

We found that patients who believed in the OLP intervention or reported improvement after taking it were perceived as less competent and warmer.

Our results suggest that the use of OLP interventions for medical conditions carries intervention stigma. We contend that this stigma poses an obstacle to the adoption of OLP interventions.