Abstract
Purpose
Research on placebo analgesia usually shows that pain outcomes can be improved after people used a placebo analgesic. A new line of research demonstrates that under some circumstances placebo analgesia can be achieved by possessing (without using) a placebo analgesic. This possession-based placebo effect was repeatedly observed (Yeung et al., 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022), yet its underlying mechanism has not been systematically studied. We tested whether perceiving having a strong self-connectedness with the owned analgesic contributes to possession-based placebo analgesia.
Method
Healthy adults (n=126) were randomized to either the experimental (EXP) conditions (EXP1: possess a placebo analgesic cream perceived to have high self-connectedness; EXP2: possess a placebo analgesic cream perceived to have low self-connectedness); or control (CO) conditions (CO1: possess a pain-irrelevant cream; CO2: no-possession). All participants did a cold-pressor-test to experimentally induced pain to their non-dominant hand. Pain outcomes (pain threshold, tolerance, intensity, severity, quality and unpleasantness) were measured.
Results
Participants in EXP1 reported a greater pain threshold, F(3, 122)=7.00, p<.001, ηp²=.15, and longer pain tolerance, F(3,122)=5.38, p=.002, ηp²=.12, than participants in the other three conditions (EXP2, CO1, CO2). Also, participants in EXP1 showed a higher probability to persistently submerge their hand in the cold water than participants in EXP2, p=.001; CO1, p=.049; and CO2, p=.023. The three conditions (EXP2, CO1 and CO2) did not differ from each other, ps=ns. Participants did not differ in self-reported pain outcomes.
Conclusion
Possessing a placebo analgesic perceived to have high self-connectedness enhances pain outcomes.
Research on placebo analgesia usually shows that pain outcomes can be improved after people used a placebo analgesic. A new line of research demonstrates that under some circumstances placebo analgesia can be achieved by possessing (without using) a placebo analgesic. This possession-based placebo effect was repeatedly observed (Yeung et al., 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022), yet its underlying mechanism has not been systematically studied. We tested whether perceiving having a strong self-connectedness with the owned analgesic contributes to possession-based placebo analgesia.
Method
Healthy adults (n=126) were randomized to either the experimental (EXP) conditions (EXP1: possess a placebo analgesic cream perceived to have high self-connectedness; EXP2: possess a placebo analgesic cream perceived to have low self-connectedness); or control (CO) conditions (CO1: possess a pain-irrelevant cream; CO2: no-possession). All participants did a cold-pressor-test to experimentally induced pain to their non-dominant hand. Pain outcomes (pain threshold, tolerance, intensity, severity, quality and unpleasantness) were measured.
Results
Participants in EXP1 reported a greater pain threshold, F(3, 122)=7.00, p<.001, ηp²=.15, and longer pain tolerance, F(3,122)=5.38, p=.002, ηp²=.12, than participants in the other three conditions (EXP2, CO1, CO2). Also, participants in EXP1 showed a higher probability to persistently submerge their hand in the cold water than participants in EXP2, p=.001; CO1, p=.049; and CO2, p=.023. The three conditions (EXP2, CO1 and CO2) did not differ from each other, ps=ns. Participants did not differ in self-reported pain outcomes.
Conclusion
Possessing a placebo analgesic perceived to have high self-connectedness enhances pain outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 26 Aug 2023 |
| Event | The 17th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine : From Local to Global : Behavior, Climate and Health - Vancouver, Canada Duration: 23 Aug 2023 → 26 Aug 2023 |
Conference
| Conference | The 17th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine : From Local to Global : Behavior, Climate and Health |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ICBM 2023 |
| Country/Territory | Canada |
| City | Vancouver |
| Period | 23/08/23 → 26/08/23 |