Nocebo effect in psychology

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A nocebo effect is an expectancy effect characterized by actual negative effects based on expected negative effects of a treatment or procedure. A nocebo effect is the opposite of a placebo effect.

Examples of the Nocebo Effect

A person who focuses on the negative side-effects of a medication or vaccine may experience the expected negative effects.

A partner who believes couple therapy will fail finds the experience fails to help their relationship.

Research quote

The term nocebo (“I shall harm”) was introduced in contraposition to the term placebo (“I shall please”) by a number authors in order to distinguish the pleasing from the noxious effects of placebo (Kennedy, 1961, Kissel and Barrucand, 1964, Hahn, 1985, Hahn, 1997). If the positive psychosocial context, which is typical of the placebo effect, is reversed, the nocebo effect can be studied. Therefore, it is important to stress that the study of the nocebo effect relates to the negative psychosocial context surrounding the treatment, and its neurobiological investigation is the analysis of the effects of this negative context on the patient's brain and body. As for the placebo effect, the nocebo effect follows the administration of an inert substance, along with the suggestion that the subject will get worse. However, the term nocebo-related effect can also be used whenever symptom worsening follows negative expectations without the administration of any inert substance (Benedetti et al., 2007b, Benedetti, 2008). (Enck et al., 2008).

Reference

Enck, P., Benedetti, F. & Schedlowski, M. (2008). New insights into the placebo and nocebo responses. Neuron. 59(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2008.06.030

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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