Taking Open Label Placebo Further: Trial of Imaginary Pills in Test Anxiety

Participants will receive no pills and will be told that they are in the no treatment group

Participants will be instructed to take an imagined pill. This instruction consists of a procedure including five steps (i.e., identifying the IP sensitive problem, building trust/belief/reality of the IP, constructing a personally meaningful IP, taking the IP, suggestions for self-administering the IP in real life, and building adherence). Participants in this group receive daily e-mail reminders.

"Participants will have the information that they are receiving inert pills (i.e. P-Dragees, containing Placebo), combined with the following scientific rationale: (a) deceptive as well as open label placebos have been found to be effective in relieving symptoms in a variety of clinical conditions namely anxiety, depression, chronic pain (the placebo effect is powerful), (b) classical conditioning are one of the possible mechanism of this effect (the body automatically responds), (c) positive expectations may help but are not necessary, (suspend disbelief), (d) compliance with these instructions are important for outcome (taking the pills faithfully is important).~Participants in this group receive daily e-mail reminders."