Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 Sep;2(9):e262.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020262. Epub 2005 Sep 6.

Deception in research on the placebo effect

Affiliations

Deception in research on the placebo effect

Franklin G Miller et al. PLoS Med. 2005 Sep.

Abstract

A common feature of research investigating the placebo effect is deception of research participants about the nature of the research. Miller and colleagues examine the ethical issues surrounding such deception.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Figures

None
Deception of research participants is considered necessary to understanding the placebo effect—but has received little ethical attention
(Illustration: Margaret Shear, Public Library of Science)

Comment in

  • Placebo: physician, heal thyself.
    Kumar A, Kumar CJ. Kumar A, et al. PLoS Med. 2005 Nov;2(11):e388. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020388. Epub 2005 Nov 29. PLoS Med. 2005. PMID: 16288561 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kleinman A, Guess HA, Wilentz JS. In: An overview. Guess HA, Kleinman A, Kusek JW, Engel LW, editors. London: BMJ; 2002. pp. 1–32. The science of the placebo: Towards an interdisciplinary research agenda.
    1. Harrington A, editor. The placebo effect: An interdisciplinary exploration. Cambridge (Massachusetts): Harvard University Press; 1997. 272 pp.
    1. Kirsch I. Response expectancy as a determinant of experience and behavior. Am Psychol. 1985;40:1189–1202.
    1. Pollo A, Amanzio M, Arslanian A, Casadio C, Maggi G, et al. Response expectancies in placebo analgesia and their clinical relevance. Pain. 2001;93:77–84. - PubMed
    1. Stewart-Williams S, Podd J. The placebo effect: Dissolving the expectancy versus conditioning debate. Psychol Bull. 2004;130:324–340. - PubMed