A common assertion about alternative medical technologies is that their results are solely built upon the placebo effect. The reason for this assertion is due to the facts that the placebo effect is perceived as an irrational quantity, and that the placebo effect is considered unspecific. If it is possible to rehabilitate the placebo effect by interpreting it as a specific effect, what consequences would it have for school medicine and the view of certain alternative medical technologies? To answer these question it is necessary to investigate just what sort of phenomenon the placebo effect is, and what determines its dimensions.
3. Grünbaum A.The placebo concept. Behav Res Therapy1980; 19: 157–67.
4.
4. Brody H.Placebo effect: An examination of Grünbaum's definition. I White L, Tursky B, Schwartz GE, eds. Placebo-Theory, Research and Mechanism. NY: The Guilford Press, 1985.
5.
5. Lynöe N, Bygren L.Värdering av olika alternativmedicinska teknologier. Del I: Inledning, Placeboproblemet. Rapport till Alternativmedicinkommitén 1988. Forskningsrapport 73. Socialmedicinska institutionen, Umeå universitet. (Swedish). Assessment of Certain Alternative Medical Technologies. Part I: Introduction, The Placebophenomenon. Report the Commission on Alternative Medicine of Sweden 1988. Research Report 73. Department of Social Medicine, University of Umeå, Sweden.
7. Fisher S.The placebo reactor: Thesis, antithesis, synthesis and hypothesis. Dis Nerv Syst1967; 8: 510–15.
8.
8. Evans FJ.Placebo resonse: Relationship to suggestibility and hypnotizability. Proc, 77th Annual Convention, APA, 1969: 889–90.
9.
9. Buchalew LW, Ross S.Relationship of perceptual characteristics to efficacy of placebos. Psychol Rep1981; 49: 955–61.
10.
10. Sachs L.Placeboeffekt – förolämpning eller positiv utmaning?Läkartidningen1984; 81: 2897–2900. (Swedish). The Placeboeffect – An Insult or a Productive Challenge?
11.
11. Feinstein AR.An additional basic science for clinical medicine: III. The challenge of comparison and measurement. Ann Int Med1983; 99: 705–12.
12.
12. Comaroff J.A bitter pill to swallow: Placebo therapy in general practice. Sociolog Rev1976; 24: 79–96.
13.
13. Balint M.Läkaren, patienten och sjukdomen. Lund: Studentlitteratur, 1978.
14.
14. Hahn RA.A socioculturral model of illness and healing. I White L, Tursky B, Schwartz GE, eds. Placebo – Theory, Research and Mechanism. NY: The Guilford Press, 1985.
15.
15. Beecher HK.Surgery as placebo. JAMA1961; July 1: 88–93.
16.
16. Cousins N.Cancer and placebos. CA1981; 2: 126–28.
17.
17. Editorial. Shall I please?Lancet1983; Dec 24/31: 1465–66.
18.
18. Moerman DE.General medical effectiveness and human biology: Placebo effects in the treatment of ulcer disease. Med Anthropol Q1983; 14: 3–6.
19.
19. Lindahl O.Methods for evaluating the therapeutic effects of non-medical treatment. Scand J Rehab Med1979; 11: 151–55.
20.
20. Witt-Hansen J.Tankeexperimentet som en hovedfaktor i videnskabelige revolutioner. I Videnskabsforskning, skriftserie for videnskabsteori ved Aalborg universitetscenter, Nr 3. ålborg, 1977. (Danish). The Thoughtexperiment as a Crusial Factor in Scientific Revolutions. In Science Research. Philosophy of Science Report no 3. University of Aalborg, Denmark 1977.
22. Searle JR.Intentionality – An essay in the philosophy of mind. Cambridge: University Press, 1983.
23.
23. Silverman WA.Human experimentation. A guided step into the unknown. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications, 1985.
24.
24. Shryock RH.The development of modern medicine. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press1979.
25.
25. Lynöc N, Bygren LO.Omtolkning av alternativmedicinska teorier ger vetenskapligt accept åt vissa teknologier. Läkartidningen1988; 85: 4017–18. (Swedish). Reinterpretation of Alternative Medical Theories make some technologies scientific acceptable.
26.
26. Heineman PP.Existentiell smärta och KZ-syndromet. Läkartidningen1984; 81: 2664–65. (Swedish). Existential Pain and the KZ-Syndrome.
27.
27. Kaada B.Placebo-gåten mot sin Iösning?Tidsk Nor Laegeforen1986; 106: 635–41. (Norwegian). The Placebo-Puzzle, possible to solve?
28.
28. Wickramasekera I.A conditioned response model of the placebo effect. In White L, Tursky B, Schwartz GE, eds. Placebo – Theory, research and mechanism. NY: The Guilford Press, 1985.
29.
29. Evans FJ.Expectancy, therapeutic instructions and the placebo response. In White L, Tursky B, Schwartz GE, eds. Placebo – Theory, research and mechanism. NY: The Guildford Press, 1985.
30.
30. Tursky B.The 55% analgetic effect. Real or artefact. In White L, Tursky B, Schwartz GE, eds. Placebo – Theory, research and mechanism. NY: The Guildford Press, 1985.
31.
31. British Medical Association. Alternative Theraphy. Report of the Board of Science and Education. London, May 1986.
32.
32. Hahn RA.Belief as pathogen, belief as medicine. “Voodoo death” and the “Placebophenomenon”. In anthropological perspective. Med Anthropol Q1983; 14: 16–19.
33.
33. Lynöe N, Mattsson B.Anomalikatalog. Katalog över diagnostika och vetenskapliga anomalier. Forsknings-rapport nr 82. Socialmedicinska institutionen. Umeå universitet, 1989. (Swedish). Anomaly Cataloque. A Cataloque of diagnostic and Scientific anomalies. Research Report 82. Department of Social Medicine. University of Umeå, Sweden1989.
