Lisa, a college student, had a great time at the party last night. She danced, sang karaoke, and even played the "Rock Band" video game-all behaviors that she had never exhibited in public before. She had been drinking the "punch" all night long, which she was told contained high levels of alcohol. Lisa was quite surprised to find out the next morning that the punch did NOT contain any alcohol. What concept may explain Lisa's behavior?
A) The Rosenthal effect
B) Illusory correlations
C) The nocebo effect
D) The placebo effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The placebo effect is the phenomenon of a person perceiving a beneficial effect due to the belief that they have received a treatment, even if the treatment is actually inert, such as a sugar pill. In Lisa's case, she believed that she was drinking high levels of alcohol in the punch, which may have led her to exhibit behaviors typically associated with alcohol consumption, even though there was no actual alcohol in the punch.

Lisa, a College Student, Had a Great Time at the Party