When it came time for the COVID-19 vaccine, a lot of folks heard they might feel a small pinch. Afterward, healthcare providers often mentioned the potential side effects.
Take someone who was warned they could experience arm soreness or flu-like symptoms about 12 hours post-vaccination. Sure enough, those symptoms appeared exactly as expected.
The Curious Case of the Nocebo Effect
What’s fascinating is that the precautions shared by medical staff might have unintentionally intensified these side effects. This isn’t because medical professionals mean any harm; their goal is to keep patients fully informed. However, their cautionary words could enhance a psychological phenomenon known as the “nocebo effect.”
The nocebo effect is the counterpart to the placebo effect. Whereas the placebo effect can make us feel better if we believe we will, the nocebo effect can make us feel worse if that’s our expectation.
Interested in more details? Check out the entire article here.
