Information about drug effects modify arousal: An investigation of the placebo response

Abstract

Forty-eight volunteers received information that they were ingesting a relaxant (relaxant group), a stimulant (stimulant group), or an inactive substance (control group). All subjects received an inactive substance. There was decreased subjective stress and arousal in the Relaxant group and a tendency towards increased skin conductance responses in the stimulant group. This suggests that information about drug effects elicits a placebo response.