# 49. Manipulation of bias and heuristics in decision making ## 49.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 49.5.52. The placebo effect "The physician's belief in the treatment and the patient's faith in the physician exert a mutually reinforcing effect; the result is a powerful remedy that is almost guaranteed to produce an improvement and sometimes a cure." The placebo effect is the measurable, observable, or felt improvement in health or behaviour not attributable to any medication or invasive treatment that has been administered. It has become a catchall term for a positive change in health, unrelated to medication or treatment. The change can be due to many things, such as spontaneous improvement, reduction of stress, misdiagnosis in the first place, patient's expectations, patient conditioning, etc. A manipulator can use the placebo effect to alter a victim's perception of an illness by making them feel better, making them feel that something is being done, when in fact it isn't. Alternatively, a placebo effect may undermine a victim's trust in another treatment.