The Pygmalion Effect Revisited: Beliefs about Physician’s Opinions Regarding Ability and Volition to Return to Work Influence Return to Work Expectancy in Patients with Pain

In a cross-sectional study, the beliefs patients with pain had about their physician’s opinion regarding both their ability and volition to return to work (RTW) predicted RTW expectancy when other variables such as sick-leave duration was controlled for. Implications for rehabilitation and future research are discussed.