Emily Spotts
@emily-k-spotts.bsky.social
Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Toledo studying placebos, nocebos, and behavioral interventions related to health.
Pinned
Nocebo education and the pursuit of side-effect information: results from three experiments
Informing individuals about the nocebo effect, termed nocebo education, can minimise the experience of side effects. One untested possibility is that nocebo education promotes behaviour change, suc...
doi.org
Our lab's newest publication is out in Psychology & Health! Across three studies, we see that nocebo education decreases the acquisition of side effect information. These data add support to the use of nocebo education interventions to improve health.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1080/0887...
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1080/0887...
New publication from our lab team in Patient Education and Counseling examines the role of patients in intrapersonally self-regulating the experience of nocebo effects through proactive and reactive strategies.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109743
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109743
Redirecting
doi.org
June 12, 2026 at 4:54 PM
New publication from our lab team in Patient Education and Counseling examines the role of patients in intrapersonally self-regulating the experience of nocebo effects through proactive and reactive strategies.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109743
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109743
Honored to announce I received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from UToledo’s Department of Psychology! So thankful for this institution and the faculty who have supported me to this point 💙💛
@utoledopsych.bsky.social
@utoledopsych.bsky.social
June 10, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Honored to announce I received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from UToledo’s Department of Psychology! So thankful for this institution and the faculty who have supported me to this point 💙💛
@utoledopsych.bsky.social
@utoledopsych.bsky.social
Our lab's newest publication is out in Psychology & Health! Across three studies, we see that nocebo education decreases the acquisition of side effect information. These data add support to the use of nocebo education interventions to improve health.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1080/0887...
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1080/0887...
Nocebo education and the pursuit of side-effect information: results from three experiments
Informing individuals about the nocebo effect, termed nocebo education, can minimise the experience of side effects. One untested possibility is that nocebo education promotes behaviour change, suc...
doi.org
May 8, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Our lab's newest publication is out in Psychology & Health! Across three studies, we see that nocebo education decreases the acquisition of side effect information. These data add support to the use of nocebo education interventions to improve health.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1080/0887...
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1080/0887...
Sydney has been such a pleasure to have in the lab over the past several years, and it is truly no surprise that she was recognized as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Psychology! Looking forward to continuing to work with her in the coming years.
Congratulations to our incoming graduate student, Sydney Mockensturm, who was selected as the UToledo Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Psychology! Sydney will join us in the fall to study the translational applications of social psychology to improve health communication and patient outcomes.
May 2, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Sydney has been such a pleasure to have in the lab over the past several years, and it is truly no surprise that she was recognized as the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Psychology! Looking forward to continuing to work with her in the coming years.
Incredibly happy to share that I recently graduated with my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology. I am eternally grateful to the University of Toledo and its faculty (especially my advisor, Dr. Andrew Geers) for my fantastic experience. Looking forward to wherever life takes me next!
December 27, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Incredibly happy to share that I recently graduated with my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology. I am eternally grateful to the University of Toledo and its faculty (especially my advisor, Dr. Andrew Geers) for my fantastic experience. Looking forward to wherever life takes me next!
A new OPEN-ACCESS article in Social and Personality Psychology Compass from our lab team examines five intrapersonal strategies individuals can use to reduce nocebo effects. This provides the groundwork for patient-enacted approaches to reduce nocebo effects.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1111/spc3.70094
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1111/spc3.70094
Development and Evaluation of Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies to Improve Interventions in Reducing Nocebo Effects
Nocebo side-effects are adverse health events that can occur when one becomes aware of the potential for negative side-effects, which can increase treatment non-adherence and reduce quality of life, ...
doi.org
October 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
A new OPEN-ACCESS article in Social and Personality Psychology Compass from our lab team examines five intrapersonal strategies individuals can use to reduce nocebo effects. This provides the groundwork for patient-enacted approaches to reduce nocebo effects.
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1111/spc3.70094
READ HERE: doi.org/10.1111/spc3.70094
Our systematic review of research about educational interventions to reduce nocebo effects was just published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine #ABM. We summarize trends and propose valuable next directions in this promising field of work. @socialhealthlab.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/abm/...
doi.org/10.1093/abm/...
Interventions that inform patients about nocebo effects: A systematic review of the current evidence
AbstractBackground. The disclosure of side-effect information can negatively contribute to one’s health by giving rise to nocebo side-effects, in which sim
doi.org
October 9, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Our systematic review of research about educational interventions to reduce nocebo effects was just published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine #ABM. We summarize trends and propose valuable next directions in this promising field of work. @socialhealthlab.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1093/abm/...
doi.org/10.1093/abm/...
New brief report in Annals of Behavioral Medicine from our lab team: academic.oup.com/abm/article-...
We examined the independent and combined contributions of nocebo education and attribute framing on psychological health-related outcomes. #ABM
@sbm.org
We examined the independent and combined contributions of nocebo education and attribute framing on psychological health-related outcomes. #ABM
@sbm.org
Comparing the effects of message framing and nocebo education on psychological outcomes
This study examines the independent contributions of nocebo education and attribute framing in changing psychological measures related to health behaviors,
academic.oup.com
September 25, 2025 at 5:55 PM
New brief report in Annals of Behavioral Medicine from our lab team: academic.oup.com/abm/article-...
We examined the independent and combined contributions of nocebo education and attribute framing on psychological health-related outcomes. #ABM
@sbm.org
We examined the independent and combined contributions of nocebo education and attribute framing on psychological health-related outcomes. #ABM
@sbm.org
Research from our lab is out there on the international stage! Great work, Sydney and Dr. Geers!
Undergraduate student researcher Sydney Mockensturm and faculty member Dr. Andrew Geers recently attended the 5th International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies in Poland. Sydney and Dr. Geers both presented on the mechanisms of the placebo and nocebo effects.
June 25, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Research from our lab is out there on the international stage! Great work, Sydney and Dr. Geers!
My newest open access article titled “The effect of attribute framing on beliefs and attitudes toward branded and generic medications” has been published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Read here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The effect of attribute framing on beliefs and attitudes toward branded and generic medications - Journal of Behavioral Medicine
Generic medications are developed to match brand-name medications in terms of active ingredients, quality, safety, and strength. Because generic medications cost less than their brand-name counterpart...
link.springer.com
March 18, 2025 at 9:21 PM
My newest open access article titled “The effect of attribute framing on beliefs and attitudes toward branded and generic medications” has been published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Read here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Emily Spotts
We are excited to see the University of Toledo recognized among the nation's top research institutions with our new R1 classification! Go Rockets 🚀
news.utoledo.edu/index.php/02...
news.utoledo.edu/index.php/02...
UToledo Recognized Among the Nation’s Leading Research Institutions with Carnegie R1 Classification | UToledo News
UToledo earned the recognition for very high research activity in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education announced today.
news.utoledo.edu
February 13, 2025 at 7:45 PM
We are excited to see the University of Toledo recognized among the nation's top research institutions with our new R1 classification! Go Rockets 🚀
news.utoledo.edu/index.php/02...
news.utoledo.edu/index.php/02...