Placebos and their Psychological Effects

Although numerous instances of the surprising efficacy of placebos in a wide variety of conditions have been reported lately, little has yet been done towards providing an explanation of the occurrence of placebo reactions in terms of psychology. In what follows, the main findings concerning placebos will first be described, and then an attempt made to relate them to psychological theory. Even if this attempt is premature, it may succeed in showing the need for further work and in suggesting what directions this might take.