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:::As I understand it, the placebo does not cause any physical effects ''itself'', but can have psychological effects which manifest physical effects. Also, I think there are distinctions made when a placebo is used for studying psychology, and when they are used as controls in drug trials. -[[User:DrSandstone|DrSandstone]] 14:34, 2 December 2008 (EST)
:::As I understand it, the placebo does not cause any physical effects ''itself'', but can have psychological effects which manifest physical effects. Also, I think there are distinctions made when a placebo is used for studying psychology, and when they are used as controls in drug trials. -[[User:DrSandstone|DrSandstone]] 14:34, 2 December 2008 (EST)
:::(EC with the Dr.)I would call those direct physical effects. The smell of coffee and the ringing of the bell have direct effects on the brain of the people who hear them. Placebos do not have direct effects on the brains of the people who take them. '''Knowing''' or '''believing''' that they are taking a treatment has an effect. Again, the placebo itself does not.
:::Being physically or chemically inert is part of the '''meaning''' of 'placebo'. If you have philosophical questions about what this means in light of the mind/body debate, that's great. But the article should still be clear about what a placebo is. [[User:DavidJohnson|DavidJohnson]] 14:34, 2 December 2008 (EST)