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Objective assessment of hypnotically induced time distortion.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 20, 1973
Summary
Hypnosis can alter how people perceive time. Researchers used operant conditioning to show that instructions during hypnosis significantly changed subjects
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Time perception is a complex cognitive function.
- Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility.
- Operant conditioning provides a precise methodology for studying behavioral responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of hypnosis on time perception.
- To validate the use of operant conditioning in assessing hypnotic effects.
- To examine the modification of personal tempo through hypnotic suggestion.
Main Methods:
- Utilized operant conditioning principles to measure behavioral changes.
- Employed systematic instructions during hypnosis to modify personal tempo.
- Trained subjects in hypnotic techniques for consistent responses.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated objective precision in measuring hypnotic effects on time perception.
- Observed significant behavioral alterations in response rate measures.
- Confirmed that hypnotic suggestions can systematically modify personal tempo.
Conclusions:
- Operant conditioning methodology effectively validates hypnosis's power to alter time perception.
- Hypnosis offers a viable method for inducing changes in subjective time experience.
- Behavioral measures provide reliable indicators of hypnotic influence on temporal processing.