title: Accentuate the positive: Counteracting psychogenic responses to media health messages in the age of the Internet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Internet has expanded the scope for creating health scares and increased the risk of nocebo responding in individuals exposed to misinformation about threats to personal health posed by aspects of modern life, such as exposure to new technologies. It was the aim of this experiment to investigate whether the delivery of positive expectations might reduce or reverse symptoms triggered by negative expectations formed from such misinformation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the context of a study investigating symptoms during exposure to windfarm sound, 64 volunteers assessed their symptomatic experiences during two discrete sessions, throughout which they listened to wind turbine sound containing audible and sub-audible (infrasound) components. Participants were randomly assigned to watch either positive or negative information about the health effects of infrasound prior to their first infrasound exposure session. They were then shown the alternate information and exposed to infrasound during their second session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants receiving negative expectations were less symptomatic during exposure if they had previously received positive expectations about infrasound. Further, participants given positive expectations after the earlier delivery of negative expectations exhibited a placebo response, reversing the nocebo response exhibited in their first exposure session.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest accessing positively framed health information may reverse or dilute the effect of negative expectations formed from exposure to media warnings about health risks posed by new technologies, such as wind turbines.
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crichton
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: kj.petrie@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Petrie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D003071:Cognition; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D064786:Nocebo Effect; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk; D014919:Wind; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Environmental risks; Health scares; Internet; New technologies; Nocebo effect; Placebo effect