Research Part 2: Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion (OCS Field Guide)
Presented by David Smelser and Austin Kercheville
This course examines psychological effects that have been noted to confound human clinical trials, including the placebo effect, nocebo effect, Hawthorne effect, John Henry effect, and Pygmalion effect. In addition to recognizing these effects, the course will explore common ways of controlling for these effects. While this course is primarily for individuals studying for an ABPTS specialty exam, any clinicians who conduct research or who attempt to integrate research into their practice can benefit from this material.
Learning Objectives
- Choose effective controls for the placebo effect in a research design
- Analyze a research design to identify risk for psychological biases among participants
- Distinguish between the placebo effect, nocebo effect, Hawthorne effect, John Henry effect, and Pygmalion effect in a research study
- Construct research methods to control for the Hawthorne effect, John Henry effect, and Pygmalion effect in a clinical trial
Meet your instructors
David Smelser
Dr. Smelser is a clinical assistant professor at Georgia State University where he teaches in the musculoskeletal and clinical reasoning series of courses. He also produces and cohosts the leading OCS-prep podcast, OCS Field Guide. David continues to treat patients with orthopedic and vestibular impairments in a…
Austin Kercheville
Dr. Kercheville received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He practices as a part of an interdisciplinary team focused on helping individuals with chronic pain improve health and maximize function. Dr. Kercheville also mentors aspiring clinical specialists, leads study…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Research Part 2: Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion (OCS Field Guide)
In this episode, hosts David Smelser, PT, DPT, and Austin Kercheville, PT, DPT, dive into a lively conversation about how effects like the placebo, nocebo, Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion can skew clinical trials. Tune in to hear how these phenomena shape research and learn strategies to control for them, providing clearer, more reliable results in the clinical setting.
More courses in this series
Research Part 1: Basics and Statistics to Memorize (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Research Part 2: Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy Diagnosis (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Types of Arthritis (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Total Knee Arthroplasty CPG (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Headaches (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy Treatment (OCS Field Guide)
Austin Kercheville and David Smelser
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Medbridge courses.
Who creates Medbridge courses?
We work with industry-leaders, top researchers, and consultants to build content roadmaps that are then structured into courses, filmed, and edited by our production team before being launched to our site.
How often does Medbridge release new courses?
New courses are added monthly and are automatically included in your subscription as they launch.
How often does Medbridge update courses?
Medbridge reviews its courses annually for relevance and to assess if content is up to date. Based on these reviews it may be determined that a course is out of date resulting in the course being re-filmed or retired, if the content is no longer needed (e.g. a replacement course already exists, the concepts are no longer best practice, etc.).
How many courses does Medbridge offer?
We have over 3,000 accredited courses and we are continually updating our library with new courses. Check our course library for the most up-to-date count for your discipline.
Are there any additional fees for taking a Medbridge course?
There are no additional fees for taking a Medbridge course, obtaining a course certificate of completion, earning CEUs as a subscriber, or accessing any of the additional tools your subscription may include.
Is there a limit to the number of courses I can take?
There is no limit to the number of courses you can take as a subscriber! As a subscriber to Medbridge, you have unlimited access to over 3,000+ accredited CE courses.
If you are a Premium subscriber, you also have unlimited access to our Patient Engagement Tools such as the Home Exercise Program, Patient Education Library, Orthopedic Exam Tests, and Manual Therapy Techniques. We have over 7,000 exercises and over 650+ videos and handouts of patient education resources with more exercises and patient education added to the library based on subscriber feedback, volume of request and specialities.
What is your refund policy?
You are eligible for a refund provided your request is received within 30 days of your subscription purchase and your account has no activity.