Relationship of Perceptual Characteristics to Efficacy of Placebos

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Abstract
The placebo was acknowledged as a potent agent associated with a myriad of psychological, therapeutic, and behavioral effects. Given the widespread use and efficacy of placebos, major needs relative to more accurate conceptualization, appreciation, and effective use of properties were discussed. Emphasis was placed on considerations of the placebo as a complex stimulus. The physical and perceptual characteristics of placebos were reviewed in regard to efficacy, with specific attention to route of administration, preparation form, size and dose, color, taste, and interpretation of ‘pharmacological’ agentry. Conclusions were directed to facilitating optimal effectiveness of a placebo. Directions for further research were suggested, and failure to consider the differential stimuli of placebos was viewed as contributing to the potential unwitting confounding in studies.