This symposium will explore the psychological and social factors that can influence placebo and nocebo effects: the experience of treatment benefits (placebo effects) and unpleasant side effects (nocebo effects) caused by expectations that are triggered aspects of the treatment context, rather than by the treatment itself. Because placebo and nocebo effects make up an important component of almost all treatment outcomes, shaping these factors can affect the overall effectiveness and side effects of medications and other medical treatments. The symposium is structured to take the audience from the neurobiological level of expectations and their influence on pain, motor responses, and corticospinal excitation (Kirsten Barnes), through treatment prescribing and the role of choice (Kate Faasse), and rituals of medication taking (Marco Valerio), to the influence of social media information on side effect expectations (Leila Mirbagher), and socially-induced cybersickness (Winston Tan). Speakers will highlight the role of treatment expectations in generating placebo and nocebo effects, a key thread running through this diverse series of studies. Potential implications and applications of findings to healthcare will be discussed.
Kate Faase (UNSW), Kirsten Barnes (Uni Sydney), Marco Valerio (UNSW), Leila Mirbaher (UNSW). Winston Tan (Uni Sydney) & Ben Colagiuri (Uni Sydney)