Pyschology 1 Midterm Examination

Define hypnosis and discuss the popular misconceptions about it . Name one appropriate use for hypnosis

Historically , hypnosis was linked with quackery . But more recently , it has become the subject of serious research . So psychologists now agree that hypnosis is a condition in which a person experiences changes in perception , memory , and behavior in response to suggestions made by the hypnotist . It is characterized by heightened mental awareness suggestibility , and deep relaxation where the subject usually moves into the hypnotic state by concentrating on the hypnotist 's voice or by focusing on

an object (The American Medical Association , 2001

Two of the popular misconceptions about hypnosis are the following Hypnosis enhances recall of forgotten events . Most people believe - wrongly that our experiences are all in there , that everything that happens to us get recorded in our brains and can be recalled if only we can break through our own defenses . But researchers dispute this claim instead , they have found out that hypnotically refreshed ' memories combine fact with fiction , sometimes boosting recall , but sometimes contaminating memory with false recollections or increasing confidence in false memories (hence state courts ban testimony from witnesses who have been hypnotized . Hence , as what researcher Kenneth Brown concludes , Hypnosis is not a psychological truth serum , and to regard it as such has been a source of considerable mischief Hypnosis force people to act against their will . To put this into a question , can hypnosis give the hypnotist a special power to control these people against their will ? Researchers experimented on this question and the result was that , all the unhypnotized subjects performed the same acts as the hypnotized ones , which made them conclude this : An authoritative person in a legitimate context can induce people - hypnotized or not - to perform some unlikely acts . Hypnosis researcher Spanos puts it simply : The overt behaviors of hypnotic subjects are well within normal limits . Hence , hypnotized people generally cannot be force to perform actions they find morally offensive and they cannot be made to act against their will any more than nonhypnotized people can

One appropriate use for hypnosis is to alleviate pain . Researchers agree that hypnotizable people can enjoy significant pain relief Hypnotists` suggestions have convinced people that they can feel no pain , and doctors have performed apparently pain-free operations on hypnotized patients . For instance , some dentists know that even light hypnosis to their patients can reduce fear , and thus hypersensitivity to pain . Moreover , some 10 percent of us can become so deeply hypnotized that even surgery can be performed without anesthesia

REFERENCES

Clayman , Charles B (2001 . The Brain and nervous system . The American Medical Association Series . New York : The Reader 's Digest Association Inc...