Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The hidden observer as an experimental creation.

N P Spanos

    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
    |January 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Criticisms of the "hidden observer" experiment by Laurence, Perry, and Kihlstrom are invalid. Data suggest the hidden observer phenomenon is an experimental artifact, not a true dissociation.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Effects of judicial instructions and case characteristics in a mock jury trial of battered women who kill.

    Law and human behavior·2000
    Same author

    Preliminary investigation of associations of illness schemata and treatment-induced reduction in headaches.

    Psychological reports·1998
    Same author

    Past-life identities, UFO abductions, and satanic ritual abuse: the social construction of memories.

    The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis·1994
    Same author

    Multiple identity enactments and multiple personality disorder: a sociocognitive perspective.

    Psychological bulletin·1994
    Same author

    Cognitive-behavioral interventions for children's distress during bone marrow aspirations and lumbar punctures: a critical review.

    Journal of pain and symptom management·1994
    Same author

    Response expectancies and interpretations as determinants of hypnotic responding.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·1993
    Same journal

    Outgroup friendships and social influence in the development of adolescent attitudes toward secondary outgroups.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·2026
    Same journal

    The impact of "relational" Artificial Intelligence on human well-being: A self-determination theory analysis.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·2026
    Same journal

    Is my loneliness killing me? Effects of loneliness and social isolation on transitions between cognitive status categories and death.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·2026
    Same journal

    Listening across the divide: High-quality listening promotes speakers' state well-being through basic psychological need satisfaction during disagreements.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·2026
    Same journal

    Morality cut both ways: The role of cognition and emotion in attitude moralization and demoralization.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·2026
    Same journal

    The predictive validity of vocational interests for life outcomes across adulthood.

    Journal of personality and social psychology·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Psychology
    • Cognitive Science
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • The "hidden observer" phenomenon in hypnosis research has been interpreted by some as evidence for dissociative states.
    • Theoretical positions by Hilgard and Spanos & Hewitt offer differing explanations for hypnotic phenomena.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To critically evaluate the criticisms of Spanos and Hewitt's "hidden observer" experiment.
    • To assess the validity of the dissociation hypothesis for the hidden observer phenomenon.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of theoretical positions regarding hypnosis.
    • Re-evaluation of data from Spanos and Hewitt's "hidden observer" experiment.

    Main Results:

    • Criticisms by Laurence, Perry, and Kihlstrom were found to be misleading or invalid.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • No empirical support was found for a dissociation hypothesis.
  • Data strongly indicate the "hidden observer" is an artifact of experimental design.

    • Conclusions:

    • The "hidden observer" phenomenon does not support a dissociation hypothesis.
    • The phenomenon is likely an artifact created by experimental conditions, challenging prior interpretations.