"The Mindlessness of Ostensibly Thoughtful Action: The Role of “Placebic” Information in Interpersonal Interaction." https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1979-23568-001

I first read this in Robert Cialdini's "Influence: Science and Practice" which is both entertaining and interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence:_Science_and_Practic...