This is a good point. It drastically increases my estimate probability of your hypothesis being correct.
I would have guessed that the primary reason why the placebo effect has gotten stronger is that people believe in medicine more. There have been studies that show a stronger placebo effect if things feel more medical, such as making the sugar pills not taste good or the like. This suggests that the belief level can be quite malleable. But this now makes me extremely interested in your hypothesis.
This is a good point. It drastically increases my estimate probability of your hypothesis being correct.
I would have guessed that the primary reason why the placebo effect has gotten stronger is that people believe in medicine more. There have been studies that show a stronger placebo effect if things feel more medical, such as making the sugar pills not taste good or the like. This suggests that the belief level can be quite malleable. But this now makes me extremely interested in your hypothesis.