Exploring the Placebo Effect in Faith-Based Water Healing: Impact of Expectation on Mood and Emotional Well-Being

Purpose: This study investigates the role of expectations in faith-based water healing on mood and emotional wellbeing. It was hypothesised that participants who anticipated prayer-nfused water would exhibit higher scores on the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS), reflecting a more positive mood. Methodology: Data was gathered from both control and experimental groups through pre- and post-test measures. Using SPSS, normality and homogeneity of variance were confirmed (Shapiro-Wilk p = 0.327; Levene's p = 0.187). Pre-intervention tests showed no significant differences in age (t = 0.36, p = 0.718) or emotional well-being (t = 0.10, p = 0.922) between control and experimental groups. Findings: The experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in emotional well-being (M = 94.30) compared to the control group (M = 78.79) post-intervention, with a t-alue of -3.23 (p = 0.003). Additionally, within the experimental group, emotional well-being significantly increased from pre-test (M = 79.45) to post-test (M = 94.30), with a t-value of -7.62 (p < 0.000). Conclusion: The findings indicate that the expectation of faith-healing intervention despite the absence of religious elements can produce significant improvements in mood, calling researchers to recognize the role of placebo effects in faith-based research.