Phiten: Powerful or Placebo?

I think this is such an interesting topic and it can really relate to any situation. Every sports product on the market allows you to "skate faster, jump higher, run longer" but do they really or is it just in your mind since you were told that you actually really can. The same concept is shown with the Phiten's products I believe. The more you think these products are going to help you the more improvement is shown.

This was interesting to read, but people always fall for things they hear,but they never tried to prove it wrong or look for correct hypothesis for it. They always believe what the authorities say or scientist. i have seen in this kind of case but not Phitens but shoes. For Example the some sketches shoes will help your lower back.

I agree with it being more of a placebo. My brother, my father, and I all ended up trying a Phiten bracelet all attempting to believe it would truly help us in fitness. However, we all found that it really did not improve anything and some days we performed better with it sometimes we performed better without. I also have many friends who tried it and they believed in it but from an outside perspective it did not seem to make much change. It seems to me that people more readily believe in something helping them rather than their own abilities to perform well purely by what they have trained themselves to be able to do.

I had never even heard of this Phiten company before, and I like that you applied all the scientific thinking principles while examining its legitimacy. You clearly showed how unscientific this company is.

I would never personally use this or similar products. If others want to use them I would have no problem with it, as long as it doesn't harm them physically, emotionally, financially, etc. I believe a positive result is always nice for people who need it, regardless of whether it's from the placebo effect or the actual product.

Nice blog post Liz, I had no idea about the claims of these necklaces even though I did notice that a number of MLB players wear them. Baseball players are a rather superstitious bunch overall and would be susceptible to this kind of thing.

You do a good job laying out how this product violates many principals of scientific thinking. You also include some helpful links to webpages and articles that make this an informative post. The post was a little on the long side but you break up the ideas into manageable chunks that keep interest from waning.

I believe in the placebo effect since believing is the whole key to why placebos often work! I take vitamins and supplements everyday even though the evidence for their effectiveness isn't great. But I believe they keep me healthy and overall I feel better when I take them

This is an interesting idea because I know there are bracelets out on the market that claim to help your balance. I've seen many people wear them around and wonder why they believe the extraordinary claims they market gives without showing extraordinary evidence to support them. I agree that this is part of the placebo effect because when people perform better, they assume it isn't just a mere coincidence, but because of their "lucky charm" they are wearing whether it be a Phiten necklace or lucky socks.

Thank your for finally dispelling the "magic" of these bracelets necklaces. For the past couple years I often wondered why this is a "trend" and what the actual payoff is of wearing these ridiculous things. Many of my baseball-minded friends would say some vague thing like, "it helps them play better", "it gives them more energy" but no one could say exactly WHY it caused these supposed effects....probably because they don't.

I think that people buy placebos, like Phiten necklaces, because they are lazy. People believe the claims of these companies because they want to. Humans, ideally, want to perform at their best all the time. Who doesn't like winning? Although, most would agree that for personal optimum performance, a person must put their time and energy into practice, practice, practice. If a company claims that their product, such as the Phiten necklaces, will enhance people's performance through no work of their own, people want to believe it. If all a baseball player has to do to be a better player is wear a necklace, why not buy it? Why practice when wearing a necklace will "enhance your performance"?

I actually used to wear one of these when I played softball and I thought they were a joke! My coach made us all wear them because he said it was supposed to help us calm down and be all around better players. I never thought that this product would help me be a better player but he sure did. Some girls on my team thought they worked wonders but than others like me did not. We knew we were good because of practice! I agree with the fact this is a placebo! People think things work which I think is what made the girls on my team "think they were doing better because of the necklace". My opinion they were doing better because our coach tried to kill us in having us practice twice a day!! :)

This is an interesting topic. A placebo is an inactive "look-alike" treatment because there is no medicine invloved in the tratment. Once, I have heard that the placebo tratment could be very useful because that doesn't directly affect the illness being treated compared to any other type of therapy.

Personally, I would probably use the placebo treatment if I could get a positive result.