Hypnotic experience: A cognitive social-psychological reality

Orne, Martin T.; Dinges, David F.; Orne, Emily Carota

doi:10.1017/s0140525x00046641

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 174 publications

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“…These findings provide strong support for social pyschological accounts of hypnotic responding and provide evidence against the notion that hypnotic procedures produce unusual cognitive changes (e.g., a trance state) that facilitate responsiveness to suggestions. Nevertheless, some special process theorists (e.g., Orne, Dinges, & Orne, 1986) attempt to account for similar patterns of responding in hypnotic and nonhypnotic control subjects by contending that the controls inadvertently slipped into hypnosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trance logic as incomplete responding.

Spaños

Groot²,

Gwynn³

1987

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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Two experiments tested predictions derived from the logical incongruity and differential demands hypotheses of trance logic responding. In Experiment 1, subjects that were highly susceptible to hypnosis showed higher levels of responding on three trance logic indexes (i.e., transparent hallucinating, duality, incongruous writing in age regression) than did subjects low in susceptibility to hypnosis who were instructed to fake hypnosis (i.e., simulators). In line with the differential demands hypothesis, hypnotic "reals" were less likely than simulators to report believing in the reality of the suggested situations and were less likely to report fine details in their hallucinations. Also consistent with the differential demands hypothesis (but inconsistent with the logical incongruity hypothesis), rate of trance logic responding correlated negatively with the degree to which hypnotic reals rated themselves as subjectively experiencing suggested effects, and as becoming absorbed in suggestions. Experiment 2 found that highly susceptible hypnotic and nonhypnotic subjects (collectively called "reals") responded equivalently on all suggestions. High-and low-susceptible simulators also performed equivalently on all suggestions. Consistent with the differential demands hypothesis (but not the logical incongruity hypothesis), (a) trance logic indexes differentiated reals from simulators when these indexes also measured incomplete subjective responding, and (b) trance logic indexes that failed to measure incomplete responding also failed to differentiate reals from simulators. The findings of both experiments are more consistent with social psychological views than with special processes views of hypnotic responding.In an influential early study, Orae (1959) compared the response to a visual hallucination suggestion in highly susceptible hypnotic subjects (i.e., "reals") and subjects low in susceptibility to hypnosis who had been instructed preexperimentally to fake deep hypnosis (i.e., simulators). During their experimental session, all subjects were administered the same hypnotic procedures, suggestions, and interviews. During their hypnotic session, all subjects sat facing a coexperimenter. While the subjects' eyes were closed, the coexperimenter rose from his chair and moved from the subjects' field of view. Subjects were then instructed to open their eyes and to "see" (i.e., hallucinate) the coexperimenter still sitting in the chair. After the subjects described their hallucinated image, the hypnotist pointed to the actual coexperimenter and asked the subjects what they saw. Ome (1959) reported that some of the hypnotic reals but none of the simulators spontaneously indicated that they could simultaneously see the coexperimenter and see through him (i.e., transparency response). Relatedly, when faced with the actual coexperimentei; hypnotic reals were much more likely than simulators to report seeing two images of the coexperimenter at the same time (i.e., double hallucination response). According

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trance logic as incomplete responding.

Spaños

Groot²,

Gwynn³

1987

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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“…One aim of our research was to examine the nature of trance logic in terms of the experience of the hypnotized subject and the degree to which any display of trance logic may have been shaped by an incomplete experience of the suggested effect. Orne's (1951Orne's ( , 1959; see also Orne, Dinges, & Orne, 1986) focus on trance logic importantly highlighted the need to understand the subjective experience of the hypnotized person. To achieve this in our research, we used the EAT of Sheehan and McConkey (1982) to investigate the way in which subjects went about having the suggested experiences and to investigate the degree to which those suggested experiences were complete and compelling.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Orne's (1951, 1959; see also Orne, Dinges, & Orne, 1986) focus on trance logic importantly highlighted the need to understand the subjective experience of the hypnotized person. To achieve this in our research, we used the EAT of Sheehan and McConkey (1982) to investigate the way in which subjects went about having the suggested experiences and to investigate the degree to which those suggested experiences were complete and compelling.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trance logic in hypnosis and imagination.

McConkey¹,

Bryant²,

Bibb³

et al. 1991

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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In 2 experiments we investigated trance logic, or the tolerance of logical incongruity, in age regression and hallucination. Experiment 1 tested 21 hypnotizable and 19 unhypnotizable subjects in an application of the real-simulating model of hypnosis. Experiment 2 tested 26 high and 19 low imagery ability subjects in an adaptation of the model to the imagination context. Subjects' experiences were investigated through the experiential analysis technique. More real than simulating subjects displayed trance logic during age regression, but they did not differ on the major measures of trance logic during hallucination. This pattern of responding occurred in both the hypnosis and the imagination contexts. Subjects' comments suggested that completeness of and belief in age regression or hallucination may play some role in trance logic. The importance of understanding trance logic from the subject's point of view is discussed.

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The Development of Research on Suggestibility: Critical Considerations

Gheorghiu¹

1989

Suggestion and Suggestibility

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Hypnotic experience: A cognitive social-psychological reality

Cited by 6 publications

References 174 publications

Trance logic as incomplete responding.

Trance logic as incomplete responding.

Trance logic in hypnosis and imagination.

The Development of Research on Suggestibility: Critical Considerations

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