The placebo button conspiracy

[percysunshine]

After reading this article, it got me thinking. There are lots of these in society. Elevator buttons for closing the doors, buttons in the voting booth (R/D...it's the same thing), neg rep button on USMB, they are everywhere. Any place a person gets instant gratification where there is no practical cause/effect relationship between the act and what happens next is an example of the placebo conspiracy in action. Heck, most of professional sports is just one big placebo button...right there on the remote control. ITS A CONSPIRACY!

Placebo buttons do absolutely nothing, and they are everywhere


Can anyone think of other examples?

 

[Ringel05]

 

[percysunshine]

It has about the same effect....

Another one...the 'enter' button on my keyboard when posting at USMB.

 

[Ringel05]

 

[Paulie]

In my town there's a button at intersections to press to cross. It does absolutely nothing. You still have to wait the required amount of time between traffic lights to get your 'walk' signal to cross. I guess people think if they hit the button it will happen quicker, I don't know. But that's a ridiculous expectation, because the city would never give you a button to press that would change the traffic light patterns.