Reply to the commentaries

Baron, 1986, The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations, J Pers Soc Psychol, 51, 1173, 10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1173 de Jong, 1996, The placebo effect in pain reduction: the influence of conditioning experiences and response expectancies, Int J Behav Med, 3, 14, 10.1207/s15327558ijbm0301_2 Fields HL, Price DD: Toward a neurobiology of placebo analgesia. In Harrington A (ed): Placebo: probing the self-healing brain. Harvard University Press, Boston (in press) Laska, 1973, Anticipation of analgesia: a placebo effect, Headache, 13, 1, 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1973.hed1301001.x Montgomery, 1996, Conditioned placebo effects: stimulus substitution or expectancy change Price, 1996, The contribution of desire and expectation to placebo analgesia: implications for new research strategies Voudouris, 1990, The role of conditioning and expectancy in the placebo response, Pain, 43, 121, 10.1016/0304-3959(90)90057-K