Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View
Published on: January 7, 2019
Experience of Responding to Imaginative Suggestions: A Micro-Phenomenological Interview Exploratory Study
Kevin Sheldrake1, Yesesvi Konakanchi1, Zoltan Dienes1
1School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
Abstract:
The micro-phenomenological interview is a technique for investigating phenomenology in detail during an activity lasting seconds to minutes. Here, we applied it to understanding the moment-to-moment experiences of subjects responding to imaginative suggestions that were aimed at temporarily altering perceived reality through deployment of phenomenological control. Our intention was to generate novel hypotheses that could be tested in a future study. We presented three suggestions individually to seven participants, and then interviewed them about their experiences, with the qualitative findings generating four independent hypotheses. We repeated the process with six new participants and found that the data supported three of the hypotheses. These were that although moderate responses involved goal-directed fantasies, high responses appeared to not; that responses scored low did not involve reports of active sabotage; and that high and moderate responders do not appear to be aware they are generating the suggested behavior and cognitions. These hypotheses will need confirming for generalizability with a quantitative study. If confirmed, these results will bear on the mechanisms underpinning phenomenological control.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Magical Thinking
Introspection
The Scientific Method
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
Structuralism
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

