Definisi

Dari wikipedia:

A placebo (/pləˈsiːboʊ/ plə-SEE-boh) can be roughly defined as a sham medical treatment.

Placebos are also popular because they can sometimes produce relief through psychological mechanisms (a phenomenon known as the “placebo effect”). They can affect how patients perceive their condition and encourage the body’s chemical processes for relieving pain and a few other symptoms, but have no impact on the itself.

Kurang lebih, penanganan medis yang sebenarnya tidak memberikan pengaruh secara langsung dalam meningkatkan kondisi pasien, namun dapat memberikan efek meringankan gejala yang dialami pasien.

Penggunaan istilah placebo secara umum biasanya dikaitkan dengan efek meringankannya, yang umum disebut placebo effect.

Penyebab

Yang menjadi menarik buatku adalah penyebab/mekanisme dari efek placebo, terutama yang membuatnya bisa diaplikasikan kepada bidang di luar medis.

Psychology (dari wikipedia)

In psychology, the two main hypotheses of the placebo effect are expectancy theory and classical conditioning.

In 1985, Irving Kirsch hypothesized that placebo effects are produced by the self-fulfilling effects of response expectancies, in which the belief that one will feel different leads a person to actually feel different. According to this theory, the belief that one has received an active treatment can produce the subjective changes thought to be produced by the real treatment. Similarly, the appearance of effect can result from classical conditioning, wherein a placebo and an actual stimulus are used simultaneously until the placebo is associated with the effect from the actual stimulus.Both conditioning and expectations play a role in placebo effect, and make different kinds of contributions. Conditioning has a longer-lasting effect, and can affect earlier stages of information processing. Those who think a treatment will work display a stronger placebo effect than those who do not, as evidenced by a study of acupuncture.

Additionally, motivation may contribute to the placebo effect. The active goals of an individual changes their somatic experience by altering the detection and interpretation of expectation-congruent symptoms, and by changing the behavioral strategies a person pursues. Motivation may link to the meaning through which people experience illness and treatment. Such meaning is derived from the culture in which they live and which informs them about the nature of illness and how it responds to treatment.

Dua hal yang berpengaruh secara psikologis, ekspektasi dan motivasi, bisa diaplikasikan tidak hanya dalam bidang medis, namun juga kepada aktivitas-aktivitas lain, seperti kepuasan membeli barang dengan harga yang lebih mahal padahal ada barang dengan harga lebih murah dengan kualitas yang sama.

Perlu diperhatikan bahwa ini bukan hanya satu-satunya faktor yang mempengaruhi efek placebo. Hal-hal lain yang bisa memperbaiki kondisi yang dimiliki, ketika ditambah dengan aspek psikologis di atas, bisa memperkuat efek placebo. Bukan penyebab utama, tetapi salah satu yang bisa digunakan secara strategis untuk membuat seseorang merasa lebih baik.