The verbal placebo
Item
- Title
- The verbal placebo
- Author(s)
- Marcus Davis
- Abstract
- The aim of this research was to investigate if ‘Positive Verbal Reinforcement’ statements enhance treatment outcome. For simplicity a static stretch to the right hamstring was performed using the Passive Knee Extension Test (P.K.E.T) method. An experimental between subjects’ design and single blind type was carried out. Fifty-nine subjects at the British School of Osteopathy were divided into two groups, twenty-nine in the experimental and thirty in the control. The (D.V) dependent variable is perceived effectiveness of the technique and the (I.V) independent variable is ‘Positive Verbal Reinforcement’ of the technique performed by the practitioner. All subjects received three static stretches to their right hamstring muscles with thirty seconds rest in between stretches. The experimental group received ‘Positive Verbal Reinforcement’ (as supplied in the script) after each static stretch, the control group did not. All subjects were required to complete before and after treatment Questionnaires measuring the perceived effectiveness of the static stretch to the subjects’ right hamstring muscle. The experimental hypothesis is supported ‘Positive Verbal Reinforcement’, does increase perceived effectiveness of a static stretch to the right hamstring muscle. But the results should be treated with caution, as it did not increase perceived flexibility of the right hamstring, therefore the results are not conclusive. Further research is required to understand the placebo phenomenon being investigated.
- Abstract
- presented at
- British School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2000
- Date Submitted
- 31.7.2000 00:00:00
- Type
- undergraduate_project
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 12164
- Inst-Identifier
- 780
- Keywords
- Placebo,Osteopathic Treatment,Medicine,Communication,Language,Conditioning
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Marcus Davis, “The verbal placebo”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 14, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/2095