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At 12:06 PM 9/27/96 -0400, you wrote: >At 12:23 AM 9/27/96 -0400, Joao Paulo wrote: Bravo, I was just getting ready to respond to Joao Paulo about his question. You said it exactly. In the double-blind studies I researched on the "natural" alternatives, the clinics could NOT give any hint as to whether these were the "real thing" or placebos. That was the idea of the study, so they could document their findings based soley on the results. Many of these studies have been conducted in Europe and several other countries around the world, all with the same results. As you stated, some people who "expect" a certain outcome could react accordingly, at least for a short time, but then again, there are many hypochondriacs who respond in this same manner. That's why studies are done and are still being done over a period of several months to several years, so long-term results can be acquired. > >Dianne >>Which is the meaning of this expression "double-blind" exactly ? > > People's reactions to substances ingested can be guaged more >accurately if some of them get the medicine or whatever and some of them get >placebos or sugar pills that look just like the medicine. If those >getting the real thing are helped and those getting the placebo are not >helped, then it is safe to assume that it was the efficacy of the medicine >that brought about the help rather than positive thinking or faith healing >or some other mental/spiritual process engaged in by the reipient who >believed help was coming. > Sometimes those dispensing the medicine give away clues, in what >they say or how they behave, to permit reipients to determine if they are >getting the real thing or just the fake thing. This could skew results. >Moreover, sometimes those dispensing the medicine expect different results >in those getting the real thing and that expectation may cause them to >"observe" different results which really don't exist except in the >dispenser's mind. To counteract this, studies can be double-blind by not >letting the dispensers or the recipients know which pills are real and which >are fake. > > > >----------------------------------------------------------- > TRW Spacecraft Operations East > 14320 Sullyfield Circle > Chantilly VA 22021 > (703) 802-1863 > >