Geschlechtseffekte bei der Placeboresponse

Subtitle: Gender effects in placebo responses

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Weimer, Katja | Enck, Paul | Klosterhalfen, Sibylle^;

Affiliations: Medizinische Universitätsklinik VI, Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Forschungsbereich, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen | Institut für Klinische Neurowissenschaften undMedizinische Psychologie des Universitätsklinikums Düsseldorf

Abstract: Research on gender specific placebo response indicates a relevance of the gender of both participants/patients as well as experimenters/ therapists/physicians at least in part for the size of the placebo response. Characteristics of experimenters and therapists respectively and their interaction with participants or patients are influenced by a traditional understanding of gender roles. We therefore postulate that gender differences in the placebo response occur predominantly because of psychosocial interactions between participants/patients and experimenters/ therapists, and not because of physiological differences between men and women. Primarily, traditional orientation of gender roles as well as trust and confidence towards the experimenter or therapist are the potential mechanisms.

Keywords: Placebo, gender, experimenter, neurophysiology, oxytocin

Journal: Zeitschrift für Medizinische Psychologie, vol. 19, no. 3-4, pp. 146-153, 2010