A scientist is designing a clinical trial to test the effect of online chat counseling with migraine sufferers as a supplementary treatment in combating their migraines. Migraine sufferers will have access to counselors via online chat software; the scientist plans to see whether their migraine pain has been reduced after six weeks. Preliminary information suggests that the effect of (face-to-face) counseling is larger for migraine sufferers who are women than men. Knowing this, the scientist would probably use a:

the placebo effect.

Explanation:

A placebo is something that tends to be a "true" medical procedure - but not so. It might be a tablet, a shot or some other "fake" medication.

Sometimes even an individual might get a placebo response The reaction can either be good or bad. The person's symptoms will change, for example.

As well as the patient might have whatever seems to be side effects of the procedure. Such reactions are defined as the "placebo effect."

There may be situations where a placebo will yield results even though people already know they are taking a placebo. Research has shown that the placebos can affect conditions like:

Depression Pain Sleep disorders Irritable bowel syndrome Menopause