# The Illusion of Performance: The Effect of Phantom Display Refresh Rates on User Expectations and Reaction Times

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.17706 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.17706/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 31 Jan 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [AI Washing Inflates Expected Performance but Not Interaction Outcomes: An AI Placebo Study Using Fitts' Law](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.00582/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

User expectations impact the evaluation of new interactive systems. Increased expectations may enhance the perceived effectiveness of interfaces in user studies, similar to a placebo effect observed in medical studies. To showcase the placebo effect, we conducted a user study with 18 participants who performed a target selection reaction time test with two different display refresh rates. Participants saw a stated screen refresh rate before every condition, which corresponded to the true refresh rate only in half of the conditions and was lower or higher in the other half. Results revealed successful priming, as participants believed in superior or inferior performance based on the narrative despite using the opposite refresh rate. Post-experiment questionnaires confirmed participants still held onto the initial narrative. Interestingly, the objective performance remained unchanged between both refresh rates. We discuss how study narratives influence subjective measures and suggest strategies to mitigate placebo effects in user-centered study designs.