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Pain, evolution, and the placebo response

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2003

Dylan Evans
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdomd.evans@bath.ac.uk http://www.dylan.org.uk

Abstract

Williams argues that humans have evolved special purpose adaptations for eliciting medical attention from others, such as a specific facial expression of pain. She also recognises that such adaptations would almost certainly have coevolved with adaptations for providing and responding to medical care. The placebo response may be one such adaptation, and any evolutionary account of pain must also address this important phenomenon.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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