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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
05:31
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
Suggestibility and suggestive modulation of the Stroop effect
1University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. i.kirsch@hull.ac.uk
Consciousness and Cognition
|May 1, 2010
Summary
Suggestion can alter the Stroop effect in individuals with low hypnotic suggestibility, challenging previous assumptions. This suggests that hypnotic suggestibility may not be essential for modulating this cognitive phenomenon.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Hypnotism Research
Background:
- The Stroop effect, a measure of selective attention and cognitive interference, has been traditionally modulated by hypnotic suggestibility.
- Previous research suggested a strong link between an individual's hypnotic suggestibility level and their ability to modify the Stroop effect through suggestion.
Discussion:
- Raz and Campbell's (2011) study challenges the necessity of a hypnotic state for modulating the Stroop effect.
- The findings indicate that suggestion can significantly impact the Stroop effect even in individuals with very low hypnotic suggestibility, questioning established mechanisms.
Key Insights:
- Hypnotic suggestibility is not a prerequisite for suggestive modulation of the Stroop effect.
- Cognitive modulation of interference tasks can occur independently of high suggestibility levels.
- The study provides evidence for alternative pathways in cognitive control and suggestion.
Outlook:
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying Stroop effect modulation in low suggestible individuals.
- Investigating this phenomenon in moderately suggestible populations is also recommended to fully understand the spectrum of responsiveness.
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