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How “blind” are double-blind studies?
Abstract
Psychopharmacological studies usually attempt to eliminate "nonspecific" influences on outcome by double-blind designs. In a randomized, double-blind comparison of alprazolam, imipramine, and placebo, the great majority of panic disorder patients (N = 59) and their physicians were able to rate accurately whether active drug or placebo had been given. Moreover, physicians could distinguish between the two types of active drugs. Inasmuch as correct rating was possible halfway through treatment, concerns about the internal validity of the double-blind strategy arise.
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“In particular, side effects associated with SSRIs can inadvertently reveal participants' group assignments, undermining the blind.”
From Revisiting the SSRI vs. placebo debate in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: the role of expectancy effects, neural responsivity, and monoamine transporters (2025) · cites this paper as Margraf et al., 1991
In the citing paper
“Both patients and clinicians often correctly guess whether they are in the active drug or placebo group, likely enhancing responses in the drug group and reducing responses in the placebo group (Chen et al., 2011, 2015; Hróbjartsson et al., 2014; Margraf et al., 1991; Baethge et al., 2013).”
From Revisiting the SSRI vs. placebo debate in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: the role of expectancy effects, neural responsivity, and monoamine transporters (2025) · cites this paper as Margraf et al., 1991
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Metadata
- Authors
- Margraf, J., Ehlers, A., Roth, W. T., Clark, D. B., Sheikh, J., Agras, W. S., & Taylor, C. B.
- Venue
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
- Published
- 1991
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 184-187
- ISSN
- 0022-006X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2117
- OpenAlex
- W4242987884
- Cited by
- 135
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Public Health Service (40118)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Psychology Research and Bibliometrics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Keywords
- double-blind study, blinding, placebo effect, research bias
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Alprazolam, Anxiety Disorders, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Imipramine, Male, Middle Aged, Panic, Placebos, Psychotherapy
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