Believing in the Effectiveness of Treatment: From Placebo to Credition and Back

Abstract

Recent placebo research has shown that the effectiveness of medical treatments depends not only on specific characteristics, such as pharmacological agents or physical properties, but also on contextual factors, including the patient’s expectations, emotions, and beliefs. This explains why even inert treatments can lead to substantial symptom improvement. The chapter gives a brief overview of findings from placebo studies and discusses possible interrelations with the framework of ‘credition’.