Effects of social-psychological variables on hypnotic amnesia

Three experiments with 196 undergraduates assessed the hypothesis that suggested amnesia for a previously learned word list is a function of Ss' interpretations of the ambiguous aspects of the amnesia testing situation. By manipulating preliminary instructions concerning interpretations of this...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 1980-01, Vol.39 (4), p.737-750
Main Author: Spanos, Nicholas P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amnesia
Experimental Instructions
Human
Hypnosis
Hypnotic Susceptibility
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Summary:Three experiments with 196 undergraduates assessed the hypothesis that suggested amnesia for a previously learned word list is a function of Ss' interpretations of the ambiguous aspects of the amnesia testing situation. By manipulating preliminary instructions concerning interpretations of this situation, Ss who were unselected with respect to hypnotic susceptibility (measured by the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A) were induced to show either substantial increments or decrements in amnesia. However, Ss high on hypnotic susceptibility ignored preliminary instructions and therefore could not be induced to show decrements in amnesia. Previous findings of more amnesia in hypnotic than in task-motivated Ss were both replicated and reversed by varying their interpretations of the amnesia task. Analyses of the data confirmed earlier findings that partial amnesics tend to recall list items in a relatively disorganized fashion. Findings are consistent with an inattention hypothesis of suggested amnesia. (31 ref)
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.39.4.737