Transforming Water: Social Influence Moderates Psychological, Physiological, and Functional Response to a Placebo Product.

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates how social influence can alter physiological, psychological, and functional responses to a placebo product and how such responses influence the ultimate endorsement of the product. Participants consumed a product, "AquaCharge Energy Water," falsely-labeled as containing 200 mg of caffeine but which was actually plain spring water, in one of three conditions: a no social influence condition, a disconfirming social influence condition, and a confirming social influence condition. Results demonstrated that the effect of the product labeling on physiological alertness (systolic blood pressure), psychological alertness (self-reported alertness), functional alertness (cognitive interference), and product endorsement was moderated by social influence: participants experien

SUBMITTER: Crum AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5119827 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature