Posthypnotic Responding Away from the Hypnotic Setting

Abstract

We examined posthypnotic suggestion away from the laboratory. In Experiment 1, high-hypnotizable subjects were given a post-hypnotic suggestion (of limited or unlimited duration) or a social request (of unlimited duration) to mail one postcard every day to the experimenter. Subjects given a social request rather than a posthypnotic suggestion sent more postcards, and those given a limited-duration suggestion responded differently from those given an unlimited-duration suggestion. In Experiment 2, real, hypnotized and simulating, unhypnotized subjects were given a posthypnotic suggestion, and nonhypnotic control subjects were given a social request, to mail one postcard every day; the suggestion or request was of either limited or unlimited duration. Real, hypnotized subjects sent more postcards than simulators; control subjects sent as many postcards as real, hypnotized subjects; and subjects given a suggestion or request of limited duration sent more than those given one of unlimited duration. The findings highlight the interaction of individual differences and the social context of the suggestion or request. They underscore important aspects of experience and behavior associated with posthypnotic responding away from the hypnotic setting.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bargh

J.A.

(1997). The automaticity of everyday life. In Wyer

R.S.

Jr. , (Ed.), Advances in social cognition: Vol. X. The automaticity of everyday life (pp. 1–61). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Barnier

A.J.

McConkey

K.M.

(1996). Action and desire in posthypnotic responding. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 44, 120–139.

Barnier

A.J.

McConkey

K.M.

(in press). Posthypnotic suggestion: Knowing when to stop helps to keep it going. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

Bernheim

(1884). De la suggestion dans l'état hypnotique et dans l'état de veille. Paris: Octave Doin.

Berrigan

L.P.

Kurtz

R.M.

Stabile

J.P.

Strube

M.J.

(1991). Durability of “posthypnotic suggestions” as a function of type of suggestion and trance depth. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 39, 24–38.

Brandimonte

Einstein

G.O.

McDaniel

M.A.

, (Eds.). (1996). Prospective memory: Theory and applications. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Damaser

(1964). An experimental study of long-term post-hypnotic suggestion. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Edwards

(1963). Duration of post-hypnotic effect. British Journal of Psychiatry, 109, 259–266.

Erickson

M.H.

Erickson

E.M.

(1941). Concerning the nature and character of post-hypnotic behavior. Journal of General Psychology, 24, 95–133.

10.

Hoyt

I.P.

(1990). Posthypnotic suggestion versus ordinary instruction: Compliance and attention. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

11.

Kellogg

E.R.

(1929). Duration of the effects of post-hypnotic suggestion. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12, 502–514.

12.

Kihlstrom

J.F.

(1984). Conscious, subconscious, unconscious: A cognitive perspective. In Bowers

K.S.

Meichenbaum

, (Eds.), The unconscious reconsidered (pp. 149–211). New York: Wiley-Interscience.

13.

Kihlstrom

J.F.

(1995, June). From the subject's point of view: The experiment as conversation and collaboration. Keynote address presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, New York.

14.

McConkey

K.M.

(1991). The construction and resolution of experience and behavior in hypnosis. In Lynn

S.J.

Rhue

J.W.

, (Eds.), Theories of hypnosis: Current models and perspectives (pp. 542–563). New York: Guilford Press.

15.

Moll

(1892). Hypnotism. New York: Scribners. (Original work published 1889)

16.

Nash

M.R.

Spinler

(1989). Hypnosis and transference: A measure of archaic involvement with the hypnotist. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 37, 129–144.

17.

Orne

M.T.

(1959). The nature of hypnosis: Artifact and essence. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, 277–299.

18.

Orne

M.T.

(1971). The simulation of hypnosis: Why, how, and what it means. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 19, 183–210.

19.

Orne

M.T.

Sheehan

P.W.

Evans

F.J.

(1968). Occurrence of posthypnotic behavior outside the experimental setting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 189–196.

20.

Patten

E.F.

(1930). A note on the persistence of hypnotic suggestion. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 25, 319–334.

21.

Perry

(1977). Uncancelled hypnotic suggestions: The effects of hypnotic depth and hypnotic skill on their posthypnotic persistence. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 86, 570–574.

22.

Sheehan

P.W.

(1980). Factors influencing rapport in hypnosis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 89, 263–281.

23.

Sheehan

P.W.

McConkey

K.M.

(1982). Hypnosis and experience: The exploration of phenomena and process. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

24.

Sheehan

P.W.

Orne

M.T.

(1968). Some comments on the nature of posthypnotic behavior. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 146, 209–220.

25.

Shor

R.E.

Orne

E.C.

(1962). Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

26.

Spanos

N.P.

Menary

Brett

P.J.

Cross

Ahmed

(1987). Failure of post-hypnotic responding to occur outside the experimental setting. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 52–57.

27.

Trussell

J.E.

Kurtz

R.M.

Strube

M.J.

(1996). Durability of posthypnotic suggestions: Type of suggestion and difficulty level. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 39, 37–47.

28.

Tuckey

C.L.

(1900). Treatment by hypnotism and suggestion in psychotherapeutics (4th ed.). London: Baillière, Tindall and Cox.

29.

Weitzenhoffer

A.M.

(1950). A note on the persistence of hypnotic suggestion. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 45, 160–162.

30.

Weitzenhoffer

A.M.

Hilgard

E.R.

(1962). The Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.