Placebos A Placebo Is Any Kind of Drug, Procedure, or Treatment

question 18

Multiple Choice

Placebos
A placebo is any kind of drug, procedure, or treatment that does not have legitimate medicinal properties. Placebos do not contain any sort of active ingredient meant to treat an illness or injury. Placebo pills, for example, might be made out of sugar or corn starch. However, even though placebos contain no medicine whatsoever, people who take them often experience reactions that cannot possibly be triggered by the substances in the pills themselves. This is known as the placebo effect.
In one study of the placebo effect, volunteers were given a starch pill and told that it was a stimulant similar to caffeine. These volunteers reported feeling more alert and slightly jittery. They also showed an increased heart rate and a spike in blood pressure. Researchers then gave the exact same placebo pill to a different group of people, this time telling them that it was a depressant. The second group of participants reported feeling drowsy and sluggish, and showed a reduced heart rate and lowered blood pressure.
Researchers use placebos to evaluate the effectiveness and possible side effects of new drugs. For example, during a study for a drug to treat depression, half of the participants might be given the actual drug while the other half are given a placebo. None of the participants know whether or not they are taking the real drug or the placebo. Researchers can then compare the results between the two groups to determine whether or not the drug produces the desired results and examine the side effects.
Question: Based on the passage, which of these is true?

• A)Placebo pills must be made out of dissolvable substances, such as sugar.
• B)People who experience the placebo effect are not able to accurately experience the effects of pills used for legitimate medicinal properties.
• C)Placebo pills help researchers understand the effects that other drugs might have on people.
• D)The effect people have when taking placebo pills is unexplainable.

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Definitions:

Public Places

Areas that are open and accessible to all members of a community, including parks, streets, and public buildings.

Informal

Lacking official procedures or rules; casual or unofficial in nature.

Contact Cultures

Societies or communities that prefer close physical proximity and touch as part of social interactions.

Personal Space

The physical area surrounding an individual that they regard as psychologically theirs, comfort levels with proximity vary across cultures and individuals.