Research Part 2: Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion (OCS Field Guide)
Presented by David Smelser and Austin Kercheville
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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.
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