Case Study : Role of pilltaking, expectation and therapeutic alliance in the placebo response in clinical trials for major
depression
Reflect on and respond to all of the questions below. Also, be sure to read the guidelines/rules (see below) for
discussions carefully in order to earn all possible points!
1) Placebo Effects:There is a wealth of research on placebos vs. antidepressants. Much research suggests that for mild to moderate
depression, placebo effects are on par with the currently prescribed drugs. What do you think this research suggests? What
are the ethical implications if you find that a medical condition can be treated with a placebo?
2) Additionally, find a journal article that discusses one or more studies related to the topic of placebos and depression. The
article needs to come from a scholarly, peerreviewed journal accessed via the Wiggins Memorial Library (note: free, openaccess
journals found via a Google search are NOT acceptable sources).
Provide an APAformatted reference for the journal article, and summarize what was done in the study (or studies), and what
the researchers found. Discuss any methodological issues or concerns related to the study as well, and note whether or not
a posttest and/or pretest was used. Also, note whether the study was experimental or nonexperimental and why, and identify
the variables being manipulated/measured.
3) Pretests vs. Posttests
An important consideration when performing an experiment is whether or not to conduct a pretest. The area of psychology
you are studying may influence this answer to some extent. For example, if you are looking at the development of something
you may well want a pretest to measure Time OneTime Two differences. Generate 2 examples of ideas/hypotheses that
could be psychological studies, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of including a pretest to the design for each
one.
4) Attrition
Consider the attrition of this current course. At this point, no students have withdrawn. However, one or more may have
"dropped out" in terms of attendance. Does this affect test scores, and if so, how? How might this be an issue if you were
collecting other types of data as well?
Discussion Forum Guidelines (IMPORTANT):
Rules for Discussion Postings: Postings must be made on at least two separate days to allow all students time to read
and respond to others (so, in other words, you can't do all 3 postings on the same day). The following points are what is looked for in your original postings to the discussion forum and your replies to others' postings:
Original Response to Posted Discussion Topic :
1. Relation of specific information from textbook or assigned reading to personal experience, beliefs, ideas, or opinions. You
need to incorporate and explicitly reference at least 2 specific points from the textbook and/or slides, AND identify
the page number or slide number from which the point was taken.
2. Discussion at a critical level, not just recitation of facts. Discussion at a critical level means discussing things such as
your opinion of the issue mentioned, why you hold that opinion, how you see the point as consistent/inconsistent with what
you have learned so far, implications of the issue or point, and so forth. In other words, critiquing means analyzing the issue
and justifying your analysis.
3. Posting is made in time for others to read and respond. This means the original posting should be made by Saturday
night in order to give classmates time to read it and respond...
Replies to Others' Postings (2 points each):
1. Replies are posted to at least 2 other discussion postings.
2. Each reply discusses at least one point you like/agree with, or one point you dislike/disagree with AND WHY. You need
to explain!
3. Postings are made in time for others to read and respond.
4. Be respectful of other students' opinions, which may be different than yours.
Be sure to answer Questions 14 in your original reply, and clearly label them as 1, 2, 3, and 4. Please don't combine
questions! Also, don't forget to incorporate two specific points from the course material and provide a page number or slide
number for each reference.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rfnwmbyi2auu2e/Presentation.rar?dl=0