An experimental study of compliance and post-hypnotic amnesia

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Post-hypnotic amnesia is traditionally measured by recall before and after a release signal.
• This traditional method may be influenced by participant compliance.
• Investigating compliance effects is crucial for accurate amnesia assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the hypothesis that traditional post-hypnotic amnesia measures are biased by compliance.
• To develop a procedure to isolate and quantify the effect of compliance on amnesia.

Main Methods:

• A novel procedure was designed to assess post-hypnotic amnesia.
• Two groups of subjects were compared: one allowed to 'own-up' to compliance before testing (Group B), and another tested before owning up (Group A).

Main Results:

• A significant compliance effect was observed.
• Group A, tested before the opportunity to admit compliance, exhibited significantly more post-hypnotic amnesia than Group B.

Conclusions:

• The traditional method for measuring post-hypnotic amnesia is susceptible to compliance bias.
• Participant suggestibility and compliance can inflate the apparent extent of amnesia.
• Methodological adjustments are needed to accurately assess genuine hypnotic amnesia.