Attribution theory, insomnia, and the reverse placebo effect: a reversal of Storms and Nisbett's findings.

ABSTRACT

Storms and Nisbett found that insomniacs got to sleep faster than usual on nights when they took placebos believed to be arousal pills. Our study attempted (a) to replicate the reverse placebo effect using a method of measurement considered more accurate than the original technique, (b) to evaluate the effect of an arousal pill therapy after therapy is discontinued, and (c) to clarify which of two hypotheses better accounts for the effect. Using 42 insomniacs, the design varied whether pills were administered (pill) or withheld (no pill) and whether or not high justification was provided for taking the pills. The high-justification-pill and the high-justification-no-pill groups were given information intended to justify their participation, while the no-justification-pill and no-pill-no-justification groups were treated like the original arousal and control groups. Instead of a decrease in latency to sleep, the no-justification-pill group but not the high-justification-pill troup displayed a typical placebo reaction on nights they took the pills. Our results cast suspicion on the original finding. The lack of response by the high-justification-pill group is discussed in terms of Bem and Kelley's views of attribution theory.