{"links":{"self":"http://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/API/grants/DE260100344"},"data":{"type":"grant-details","id":"DE260100344","attributes":{"code":"DE260100344","administering-organisation":"The University of Sydney","announcement-administering-organisation":"The University of Sydney","scheme-name":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","grant-status":"Active","funding-commencement-year":2026,"years-funded":3,"project-start-date":"2026-06-01","anticipated-end-date":"2029-05-31","grant-summary":"Unravelling nocebo effects: the role of personal and social experiences. Nocebo effects - where negative expectations trigger adverse outcomes - cause significant personal, societal, and economic harm. This fundamental science project aims to use novel experimental methods to uncover the psychological mechanisms underlying nocebo effects acquired via social observation and direct experience, namely social dynamics, attention, and learning processes. Outcomes include a new evidence-based model of the nocebo effect, leading to improved identification of when and why these effects occur. Results will significantly advance scientific understanding of the nocebo effect, providing enormous benefit to the Australian community by paving the way for future translational research, reducing the cost of nocebo effects.","funding-current":484523.00,"funding-at-announcement":480678,"investigators-current":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Kirsten","familyName":"Barnes","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0001-8328-3998 "}],"investigators-at-announcement":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Kirsten","familyName":"Barnes","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0001-8328-3998 "}],"organisations-current":[{"organisationName":"The University of Sydney","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"NSW"}],"organisations-at-announcement":[{"organisationName":"The University of Sydney","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"NSW"}],"field-of-research":[{"isPrimary":false,"code":"520304","name":"Health Psychology","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":true,"code":"5204","name":"Cognitive and Computational Psychology","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"520403","name":"Learning, Motivation and Emotion","type":"FOR20"}],"socio-economic-objective":[{"code":"200103","name":"Human Pain Management","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"209999","name":"Other Health Not Elsewhere Classified","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280121","name":"Expanding Knowledge In Psychology","type":"SEO20"}],"international-collaboration":["England","United States of America"],"lief-register":[],"achievement-summary":null,"national-interest-test-statement":"Nocebo effects occur when negative expectations cause harmful outcomes. As everyone can hold these negative expectations, nocebo effects can impact all Australians. Nocebo effects can significantly reduce treatment adherence and delay recovery. On a societal level, they can lead to mass ‘communicated’ illnesses, resistance to new technologies (e.g., 5G wireless and wind turbines), and refusal of life-saving treatments like vaccines. When treatment non-adherence is considered, nocebo effects are estimated to cost Australia over $900 million annually (Cutler et al., 2017, Howard et al., 2021). However, nocebo effects cause a multitude of additional costly harms. Observing others undergo treatment - in hospitals, clinics, or on social media - can trigger nocebo effects. Despite their broad societal impact, the mechanisms driving these socially acquired nocebo effects are poorly understood. This project addresses how nocebo effects acquired through social observation differ from direct experience, examining interpersonal dynamics, attention, and learning processes. Outcomes include an evidence-based model addressing socially and directly learned nocebo effects, outlining how and when they arise. Results will significantly increase our understanding of the nocebo effect, enhancing Australia’s global leadership in nocebo-related research. This understanding will support future targeted interventions that reduce the personal and societal harm caused by the nocebo effect."}}}