The Effect of a Suggestion to Generate Interest in a Reading in Highly Hypnotizable People: A Promising Use in Education

Abstract

Highly hypnotizable participants in the experimental condition were given a waking state suggestion that a reading not intended to be interesting would be fascinating and remarkable. Controls were given task motivational instructions, in which they were told to try to make it interesting. The suggestion had a major influence on participants’ enjoyment of the reading, though no effect was found for reading comprehension. Qualitative interviews indicated that the suggestion had a profound impact on some, especially those most responsive to hypnosis. The lack of an effect in reading comprehension may be due to large within-group variances. Findings suggest that hypnotic suggestion, when properly employed, may have a potential use in enhancing the learning capabilities of highly hypnotizable people.

Abstract

Unter experimentellen Bedingungen wurde hoch hypnotisierbaren Teilnehmern im Wachzustand eine Suggestion gegeben, daß eine Lektüre, die absichtlich nicht interessant sein sollte, phaszinierend und bemerkenswert wäre. Kontrollen wurden motivierende Anweisungen gegeben zu versuchen, es interessant zu machen. Die Suggestion hatte großen Einfluß auf den Spaß der Teilnehmer an der Lektüre, wobei kein Effekt auf das Verständnis der Lektüre gefunden wurde. Qualitative Interviews wiesen darauf hin, daß die Suggestion auf einige einen großen Einfluß hatte. Vor allem auf solche, die auf Hypnose besonders ansprechen. Das Fehlen eines Effektes auf das Leseverständnis mag auf den erheblichen within-group Varianten beruhen. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, daß hypnotische Suggestion eine mögliche Anwendung zur Verbesserung der Lernfähigkeiten hoch hypnotisierbarer Personen darstellt, solange sie richtig angewandt wird.

Stephanie Reigel, MD

Résumé

Des participants facilement hypnotisables dans une situation expérimentale ont reçu une suggestion en état de veille qu’une lecture qui n’était pas supposée être intéressante serait fascinante et remarquable. Les membres du groupe de contrôle ont reçu des instructions motivationnelles leur demandant d’essayer de rendre leur lecture intéressante. La suggestion hypnotique a eu une influence majeure sur le plaisir de lire des participants, bien qu’elle n’ait eu aucun effet sur la compréhension de la lecture. Des entrevues qualitatives ont indiqué que la suggestion a eu une profonde influence sur certaines personnes, particulièrement celles qui ont été les plus sensibles à l’hypnose. L’absence d’un effet sur la compréhension de la lecture est peut-être due à des écarts intra-groupe. Les résultats donnent à penser qu’une suggestion hypnotique, lorsqu’elle est bien utilisée, peut être utile dans l’amélioration des capacités d’apprentissage des personnes facilement hypnotisables.

Johanne Raynault

C. Tr. (STIBC)

Resumen

Los participantes altamente hipnotizables en la condición experimental recibieron una sugerencia, en estado de vigilia, de que encontrarían fascinante y extraordinaria una lectura que no pretendía ser interesante. A los controles se les dieron instrucciones motivacionales para la actividad, en donde se les dijo que procuraran hacerla interesante. La sugerencia tuvo una fuerte influencia sobre el placer de la lectura de los individuos, aunque no se encontró ningún efecto sobre la comprensión lectora. Las entrevistas cualitativas indicaron que la sugerencia tuvo un profundo impacto en algunos, especialmente aquellos más receptivos a la hipnosis. La ausencia de efecto en la compresión lectora podría deberse a la gran varianza intra-grupos. Los resultados indican que la sugerencia hipnótica, al utilizarse apropiadamente, podría potencialmente ser utilizada para mejorar las habilidades de aprendizaje de personas altamente hipnotizables.

Omar Sánchez-Armáss Cappello, PhD

Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Acknowledgments

This report is based on the doctoral dissertation of the lead author.

The lead author would like to thank the Psychology Department at Ursinus College for providing access to their classes for recruitment purposes. A special thanks is extended to Emily Orne for her insight and support.

Notes

¹ Raikov did not provide specific details about the specific methodology. Rather, he focused on a general summary of his findings. The only other account in English was provided by Krippner (1980), who found this technique quite impressive.

² Although they were not interviewed and not included in the qualitative analysis, because qualitative saturation had been obtained by then, 2 additional participants, each with HGSHS:A scores of 6, reported postexperimentally that the suggestion had no effect for them.

³ It should be noted that almost all control group participants elected to experience the experimental manipulation since having the opportunity was one of their rights as a participant. Many, most of whom were in the higher range of hypnotizability, reported informally and often to their surprise that the reading had become more interesting. Some even reported a “trance logic” like experience, in which they were very interested in the passage while reading it yet knowing at the same time that they had no reason to think so.