What is the placebo effect and how does it work? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 25, 2026 · 4 MIN

What is the placebo effect and how does it work?

from Do you really know? · host Bababam

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which a person's symptoms or well-being improve after receiving a fake treatment that has no specific or intrinsic effect on their condition. For example, a person may feel less pain after taking a sugar pill that they believe is a painkiller, or they may feel more energetic after receiving an injection of saline solution that they think is a vitamin. The placebo effect is not just about positive thinking or wishful thinking. It involves complex psychological and physiological mechanisms that are not fully understood. How does the placebo effect work? What are the benefits of the placebo effect? What are the limitations of the placebo effect? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here : ⁠⁠Could AI ever be able to offer therapy?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What is plasticrust, the latest concerning form of pollution?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Why don't scars disappear?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast.A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. First Broadcast the 25/03/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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