Hawthorne Effect - named after the Hawthorne Plant of the General Electric company. The company studied working conditions and productivity, and found that any change that they made in working conditions improved morale and productivity. In short, feeling that a practitioner truly cares and is working hard to help can influence perception about the effectiveness of a treatment. History - another research methodology term, indicating all other events which are not part of the treatment, but are happening simultaneously with the treatment. Statistical Regression - Chronic conditions especially tend to go through cycles.
Statistical regression refers to the tendency to move toward that mean level.
This means that the times when the problem is the absolute worst are the precisely the times when it will tend to get somewhat better on its own. These times are also, of course, the times that people are most likely to seek treatment, and understandably, they attribute success to that treatment. Product Adulteration - Occasionally, Chinese remedies, homeopathic remedies, or herbal formulations have been found to be spiked with prescription drugs. The only true way to systematically validate or invalidate a phenomenon or a belief system is through the system of Scientific Method. Nothing could be further from the truth.