Nocebo
Last updated: February 05, 2025
The nocebo effect, the opposite of placebo, where negative expectations lead to negative outcomes.
Classic example: patients in drug trials who are told about possible side effects are significantly more likely to experience those side effects, even when they're given a sugar pill. Tell someone a medication causes headaches, and they get headaches. From nothing.
Another: wind turbine syndrome. Communities warned about health risks from wind farms report sleep problems and nausea. Communities with the same turbines but no warnings report nothing.