Theories of Hypnosis

Theories of Hypnosis

1. Hypnosis - a state of heightened suggestibility characterised by relaxation and intense focus

2. State explanations: Neo-dissociation theory

   • Hilgard (1977) - hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness; the hypnotic state is a dissociation with the high control levels
     • this division allows those in the hypnotic state to split parts of their functioning into different levels of mental activity
       • EG. hypnotic analgesia - an absence in reports of pain
   • hidden observer - the monitor of all the events during hypnosis
   • Evans & Orne (1971) found that in an observation of behaviour when the hypnotist left the room, the hypnotised subjects continued to respond for longer than the stimulators
     • hypnotised individuals also show a stronger 'post-hypnotic' response
     • however, social-desirability bias
   • hypnosis allows people to do unusual feats
     • however, Druckman & Bjork (1994) reported that without hypnosis, highly motivated people demonstrate strength, learning, and perceptual abilities comparable to hypnotised ones

3. Non State explanations: Socio-cognitive theory of hypnosis

   • considers hypnosis as a social response; its effects can be produced without a hypnotic induction
   • Spanos (1986) believed that attitudes, beliefs, imaginings, attributions and expectancies all shaped hypnotic phenomena
   • ESC
     • Expectation - hypnotised individual makes assumptions on the expected behaviour dependent upon the hypnotists instructions
     • Strategy - hypnotised individual uses various strategies to behave in the expected manner
     • Compliance - if strategies prove ineffective, the individual will use compliance (faking)
     • supported by Valins (1966) - male PP's were required to rate images of semi-nude women; PP's were given false feedback about their heart rate whilst viewing the women; men excused their behaviour in a post-interview
       • Spanos (1986) - hypnotised subjects fail to admit to pretending because they have invested heavily in the role of being hypnotised
   • Susceptibility
     • if hypnosis is a social process, susceptible subjects should be generally more compliant
       • however, Orne (1970) found that highly susceptible patients were less compliant than low susceptibility subjects
   • no measure of brain activity successfully distinguishes between hypnotised and non hypnotised states, consistently
     • however it is possible that we are looking at the wrong measures or the wrong part of the brain for hypnotic phenomena