Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40662257›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine2025

Positive social modeling attenuates nocebo side effects.

Cosette Saunders, Winston Tan, David Ng, Alexander Burchett, Nicolas McNair, Ben Colagiuri

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Cosette SaundersSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2702-9044
Winston TanSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4821-7877
David NgSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1787-0841
Alexander BurchettSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0009-0004-5366-3737
Nicolas McNairSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0956-4948
Ben ColagiuriSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2157-2641

Funding

Australian Government Research Training Program Stipend ScholarshipAustralian Research Council Discovery Projects DP200101748Australian Research Council Discovery Projects DP230102411
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundReceiving negative instructions and observing another's adverse treatment-related experience can lead to worsened health outcomes via the nocebo effect. However, it is unknown whether the observation of a positive treatment-related experience can mitigate these effects. PURPOSE: To investigate whether a positive social modeling intervention can reduce nocebo side effects induced by instruction and social modeling.

methodsParticipants (N = 160) were told the study assessed a new cognitive enhancer (actually a placebo). Participants received side effect warnings and viewed an informational video describing the medication. Placebo-treated groups were randomized to either watch an additional clip where a peer reported a positive experience with no side effects or not. These groups were further randomized to either encounter a live model exhibiting side effects or not. A Natural History group did not view any modeling nor receive the placebo. The primary outcome was the severity of side effects.

resultsA significant nocebo effect was observed, with increased symptom severity in placebo-treated groups compared to the Natural History group. The positive social modeling intervention (i.e., viewing a peer experience no side effects) significantly reduced symptom severity. No significant difference in symptom severity was found between instruction alone and instruction with side effect modeling, nor was there an interaction between the induction method and the positive social modeling intervention.

conclusionsPositive social modeling reduces nocebo side effects induced by instruction alone and instruction with side effect modeling. Positive social modeling may be an effective method to mitigate the burden of nocebo side effects in clinical settings.

Indexed as

Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsNocebo EffectAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung Adultinstructionnocebo effectplaceboside effectssocial learningsocial modeling

Identifiers

PMID40662257
PMCPMC12260372

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.