Patient A was raised to view medical treatments as most effective; Patient B was raised to believe in faith healing and avoid medical treatments. If both patients are given a placebo, what is most likely?

A) The strength of their respective placebo responses should not be affected by the differences in what they believe.
B) Each will have a stronger response to a placebo that seems most similar to their respective preferred treatments.
C) Each will have a stronger response to a placebo that seems most different from the treatments that each one prefers.
D) Each will have a stronger response to a placebo that seems most different from the treatments that each one prefers

Question

Patrick Abellera · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : B, Explanation :  Each patient's placebo response is likely to be stronger when the placebo aligns with their beliefs and expectations about treatment. Patient A, who believes in medical treatments, is likely to respond better to a placebo that mimics conventional medicine, while Patient B, who believes in faith healing, might respond better to a placebo that aligns with those beliefs. This is because the placebo effect is partly driven by the patient's expectations and beliefs about the treatment.

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