▶ Your Answer : In the lecture, the professor is rebutting the passage which disapproves the effectiveness of placebo effect has asserted.
First of all, contrary to the passage which emphasizes the methodogical errors that early researchers of placebo effect have made, the professor argues that placebo effect is still valid in these days. It is true that ancient researchers of the effect like Dr. Henry Beecher omitted patients with no treatment in his article, which is a detrimental error in the point of the modern research method. However, even with the help of it, the placebo is concluded to be effective for patients. For example, a sugar pill with no medicine was prescripted to a group of patients who were diagnosed with a chronic syndrome. In this research, the conductor added another group with no remedies to satisfy the standard of the modern-day methodology. Compared to the counterpart, it is found that placebo is significantly helpful for relieving the symptoms of this syndrome, making the placebo a valid ramification even with the contemporary way of research.
Secondly, aside from the passage which emphasizes that lifestyle changes rather than placebo played an important role in curing diseases like heart attack, professor contradicts it stressing that there are ramifications which placebo is more beneficial than the transformation of lifestyle. For instance, placebos are bestowed to people with depression. At last, it is proved that those with fake pills have shown better objective standard of vital sign, better brain images and blood flows.
In conclusion, professor opposes the passage which questioned the reliability of placebo effect, adding that placebo is still valid in terms of the research method of these days and changes of one's lifestyle. |