The Effects of a Placebo on Spider Phobia

Abstract

Prior studies have shown the effectiveness of placebos on several medical conditions. This study built on prior Placebo research by extending to phobias, a psychological condition. 37 spider-phobic participants were identified by a Fears of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) and a Behavioral Avoidance Test (BAT), a series of tasks that increased the participants’ proximity to a live spider after each task. Participants returned one week later and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Placebo with deception, and Placebo without deception. The former group were deceived to believe they were taking a fear-reducing drug. Participants were handed two scientific articles that emphasized the beneficial effects of Propranolol, a beta blocker that’s commonly used to reduce levels of fear and anxiety. The latter control group were correctly informed they were taking a placebo, an inert sugar pill. Then they did the BAT again, and the number of tasks they successfully completed were recorded. The results showed that the Placebo with deception increased BAT scores, or reduced avoidance of a live tarantula, more than placebo with no deception. These findings suggest that the avoidance of a feared object can be reduced with the use of a placebo under deception.