Ellen Langer
Psychologist at Harvard University, co-author with Alia Crum of the 2007 study in which hotel housekeepers told their work was good exercise showed improvements in weight, blood pressure and body fat four weeks later.
Who they are
Langer's work over several decades concerns mindfulness and how beliefs about a situation shape behaviour and health. Her studies are often retold in popular writing; some are small, and David Robson's account of her 1979 study of older men names its sample size as the most serious problem.
Key papers
Crum, A. J., & Langer, E. J. (2007). "Mind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effect." Psychological Science, 18(2), 165-171. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01867.x.
Key ideas
Being told your work counts as exercise was followed by measurable changes in a small study. See Perceived Physical Activity.
Sources
- Crum & Langer (2007), verified at the published record. Robson, D. (2022). The Expectation Effect, p. 207.