hypnosis
Summary
Hypnosis is a technique in which a guide uses relaxation, focused attention, and suggestions to produce heightened suggestibility. Whether it is a distinct altered state of consciousness (state view) or the result of expectation and role-playing (sociocognitive view) is still debated.
Detail
Meaning: Hypnosis is a procedure in which a hypnotist guides a person with an induction, usually focused attention and relaxation, followed by suggestions. The person typically becomes more suggestible and may report changes in perception, sensation, or memory, such as reduced pain. Two accounts explain it. The state (dissociation) view says hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness in which awareness splits from voluntary control. The sociocognitive view says no special state is needed; expectation, motivation, and role-playing produce the behavior.
On the MCAT: Hypnosis appears alongside sleep, meditation, and drug-induced states in questions on consciousness. Expect to be asked which view a finding supports. For example, if people who are merely told to act hypnotized behave like hypnotized people, that favors the sociocognitive view. Suggestibility varies from person to person, so some respond strongly and others barely respond.
Common confusion: Hypnosis is not sleep. People stay awake and typically show waking brain activity. It also does not give the hypnotist control, and people usually will not act against strong personal values. Memories reported under hypnosis are not necessarily accurate, because suggestion can create false memories.
Sources
- Psychology (Myers)
- Psychology (Gray and Bjorklund)
- Discovering Psychology (Hockenbury)
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.