Reaction to a placebo: The mediational deficiency hypothesis.

This paper reconsidered data previously interpreted as supporting the mediational deficiency hypothesis. It was concluded that: certain comparisons of theoretical similarities were unclear; inferences from "reversal-nonreversal" and "transposition" paradigms did not lead to unequivocal interpretations; and crucial evidence from research in deafness and from other theoretical positions, as Piaget's, were ignored. The reduction of the role of language in cognitive development to a verbal mediation construct was considered an oversimplification and a potential source of confusion. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)