The Placebo Phenomenon: A Narrow Focus on Psychological Models

The placebo effect is a complex phenomenon that can be described from neurobiological, psychosocial, and epistemological perspectives. Different leaders in the field have proposed multiple theories and models that attempt to describe both the nature and the mechanisms of action underlying placebo effects. This article focuses on the most relevant psychological models that have been suggested for characterizing the different mechanisms underlying the placebo effect. We outline how the dynamic psychoneurobiological aspects of the placebo phenomenon can be a potential reliable and useful tool in daily clinical practice for illness and symptom management within a wide variety of specialties and health-care practices.