AI Insight
This study investigated whether openly-administered placebos (pills given with full transparency about being placebos) could enhance creative thinking when framed as either "creativity enhancers" or "mood enhancers." While 105 participants who received the placebo pills reported improved mood and attention, their actual performance on a divergent thinking creativity test showed no measurable improvement compared to a control group. The placebo effect was limited to subjective experiences rather than objective cognitive performance, and the specific framing (creativity vs. mood) did not produce different outcomes.
Why it matters
This research challenges the notion that open-label placebos can enhance creative performance, suggesting their effects may be confined to subjective well-being rather than measurable cognitive abilities. The findings are important for understanding the limits of placebo interventions in educational and professional settings where actual performance outcomes matter.
Understand the Science
BackgroundPlacebos deceptively labeled as “creativity enhancers” have been shown to improve divergent thinking (DT) performance. This study examined whether nondeceptive placebos administered with full transparency, which are also known as open-label placebos (OLPs) can produce comparable effects when framed as enhancing either cognitive or affective processes.MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to one of three groups that completed the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) twice within a single testing session. After the first AUT (baseline), two groups received a placebo pill, which was introduced either as a “creativity enhancer” or a “mood enhancer”, whereas the third group received no treatment. Objective outcomes included DT performance (fluency, originality, and flexibility); subjective measures comprised ratings of mood, attention, performance perception, and expected/perceived placebo efficacy.ResultsThe study included 105 participants (mean age: 29.6 years, SD = 9.63, 62% female). Placebo administration improved subjective outcomes but did not affect DT performance (all p > 0.05). It increased self-reported mood (ΔM = 0.36, 95% CI [0.13, 0.58], SE = 0.11) and attention (ΔM = 0.56, 95% CI [0.27, 0.84], SE = 0.14), regardless of labeling condition. Perceived placebo efficacy after the AUT decreased relative to expected efficacy before the experiment (ΔM = −0.66, 95% CI [−1.07, −0.25], SE = 0.21).ConclusionThese placebo effects were limited to subjective states and were comparable across the creativity- and mood-enhancement suggestion conditions, highlighting the need for future research to further investigate the role of content-specific suggestions in placebo responsiveness.
Source: Effects of an open-label placebo on divergent thinking performance