4 ms·
Hmmm nit picking but I think regression to the mean is different from placebo. Regression to the mean: most headaches go away within a few hours. Placebo: you
by austinjp 5y ago
Hmmm nit picking but I think regression to the mean is different from placebo.
Regression to the mean: most headaches go away within a few hours.
Placebo: your favourite brand of paracetamol seems to cure headaches quicker than the unbranded version.
They can interact, of course.
- tsimionescu 5y agoPlacebo refers to any effect where a patient's outcomes seem to improve for reasons not related to the specific intervention attempted. Regression to the mean, incorrect data collection, psycho-somatic effects etc are all elements of placebo, in various degrees in various instances.
- austinjp 5y agoWell, fair enough. To split hairs ever finer, though... Placebo is present in all circumstances, as is nocebo. Regression to the mean is a statistical phenomenon. It can help aid understanding of the size and role of placebo effects, but it isn't a part of the placebo effect. Ditto data collection and analysis. But yeah, I'm probably splitting hairs :)