Effects of Suggestion on Increasing or Decreasing Skin Temperature Control

Abstract

In a 2 × 3 factorial design, 44 college students were assigned the task of either increasing or decreasing their hand skin temperature, receiving either suggestions, pseudo-suggestions, or no suggestions (response-specific instructions only). Subjects receiving suggestions heard imagery phrases related to increasing or decreasing hand skin temperature; subjects in the pseudo-suggestion condition heard phrases related to electronics; subjects in the response-specific condition were told only to increase or decrease their skin temperature prior to training. All subjects participated in three training sessions. Analyses of the third session indicated a significant main effect for temperature direction and a significant interaction effect. A marginally significant main effect for suggestion was obtained. The results suggest that the ability of a subject to regulate hand skin temperature is influenced by the combination of required direction of change and type of suggestion. The data support the notion that pseudo-suggestions may act as a distractor which disrupts the ability of a subject to control hand skin temperature in both the increase and decrease directions.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hunter A. McAllister

Joyce Laing works in the Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, Playfield House, Cupar, Fife, and is a Consultant Art Therapist to Psychiatric Hospitals and Prisons and Chairwoman of the Scottish Society of Art and Psychology.