title: Enhancing treatment effectiveness through social modelling: A pilot study.
abstract: Medical treatments take place in social contexts; however, little research has investigated how social modelling might influence treatment outcomes. This experimental pilot study investigated social modelling of treatment effectiveness and placebo treatment outcomes.
  
  
  
  Fifty-nine participants took part in the study, ostensibly examining the use of beta-blockers (actually placebos) for examination anxiety. Participants were randomly assigned to observe a female confederate report positive treatment effects (reduced heart rate, relaxed, calm) or feeling no different.
  
  
  
  Heart rate, anxiety and blood pressure were assessed, as were symptoms and attributed side effects.
  
  
  
  Heart rate decreased significantly more in the social modelling compared to control condition, p = .027 (d = .63), and there were trends towards effects in the same direction for both anxiety, p = .097 (d = .46), and systolic blood pressure, p = .077 (d = .51). Significant pre-post placebo differences in heart rate, anxiety and diastolic blood pressure were found in the social modelling group, ps < .007 (ds = .77-1.37), but not the control condition, ps > .28 (ds = .09-.59).
  
  
  
  Social observation of medication effectiveness enhanced placebo effectiveness in heart rate, and showed a trend towards enhancing treatment effectiveness in both anxiety and systolic blood pressure. Social modelling may have utility in enhancing the effectiveness of many active medical treatments.
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.|b Department of Psychological Medicine , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Faasse
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychological Medicine , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychological Medicine , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Loveys
authors.affiliation: c Department of Medicine , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grey
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychological Medicine , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Petrie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015990:Placebo Effect; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anxiety; heart rate; placebo; social modelling; social observational learning; treatment efficacy