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Biomedical subjects

P W Sheehan

Publications and source records attributed to P W Sheehan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

The effects of cue level, hypnotizability, and state instruction on responses to leading questions.

Two sessions were conducted in which independent groups of 86 high- and 85 low-susceptible subjects, responding individually under waking or hypnotic instruction, answered high- and low-cued leading questions about a video event that depicted shooting at an airport. The two sessions were separated by 1 week, and the same questions were asked in both sessions. It was predicted that highly susceptible subjects responding under hypnotic instruction would show the most evidence of accepting false information via strongly cued leading questions. Results showed general effects for leading questions and level of susceptibility but no firm support for the involvement of hypnosis. Data are discussed in terms of both the linguistic and social factors that appear to have operated on subjects in the study, results overall highlight the strong influence of level of susceptibility on subjects' acceptance of false information.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Influence of rapport on hypnotically induced pseudomemory.

Three studies examined the influence of rapport on pseudomemory. Study 1 tested eight groups of 22 subjects in a 2 (level of susceptibility: high, low) x 2 (state instruction: hypnosis, waking) x 2 (rapport: present, reduced) design, rapport being inhibited by the hypnotist criticizing subjects' performance. Pseudomemory was tested by a second experimenter who also criticized subjects. Study 2 varied level of susceptibility and rapport for 88 hypnotically instructed subjects where criticism was offered only by the second experimenter. Study 3 analyzed effects among 44 highly susceptible hypnotic subjects where the second experimenter refrained from criticizing subjects. Data indicated a significant association between rapport with the hypnotist and pseudomemory in cued recall, strength of pseudomemory being appreciably lowered when negative hypnotist rapport was reinforced by the person testing pseudomemory.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pseudomemory effects over time in the hypnotic setting.

Highly (n = 36), moderately (n = 26), and low (n = 48) susceptible subjects were administered either hypnosis or waking instruction to examine the hypothesis that pseudomemory will occur for hypnotic subjects as long as 2 weeks after suggestions are given for accepting false events. Accuracy and confidence of memory were measured for all subjects, and memory was examined for free recall, structured recall, and recognition. Results indicated persistence of pseudomemory for the 2-week period for both highly and moderately susceptible subjects. Data highlighted the multifaceted operation of skill, contextual, and state instruction factors, and an hypothesis that ambiguity of communication when suggestion is delivered plays a part in the maintenance of pseudomemory over time is offered for further testing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Hypnosis, the timing of its introduction, and acceptance of misleading information.

Allocated independent sets of 16 Ss to a crossed 2 (level of susceptibility: high, low) x 2 (information: misleading, nonmisleading) x 2 (state instruction: hypnosis, walking) design to examine the prediction that hypnosis will facilitate memory distortion when hypnotic instruction precedes the exposure of Ss to incorrect, misleading information. E. F. Loftus's recognition procedures were used to focus on the predicted effect. Free recall was also examined for memory distortion effects. Results indicated the presence of significant memory distortion for both recognition and free-recall memories. The distortion effects accompanying hypnosis, however, were not reliably greater than those accompanying waking instruction. Results are examined in relation to the operation of multiple parameters affecting memory distortion in hypnosis. Pertinent factors include the procedures for testing the effects of distortion and the level of Ss' aptitude for hypnosis.

Female↗
PubMed1988

Hypnotically induced pseudomemories--sampling their conditions among hypnotizable subjects.

Three studies are reported in a program of research that investigated a range of parameters affecting individual differences in the incidence of hypnotically induced pseudomemory among hypnotizable subjects. Study 1 replicated Laurence and Perry's (1983b) base rates for hypnotically induced pseudomemory response among hypnotizable subjects; in Study 2 the same response was analyzed under more strictly controlled stimulus conditions. Study 3 was an investigation of the impact of a broader range of stimulus events on response and a more sensitive test of the hypothesis that individual differences in pseudomemory effects are tied essentially to the social context of hypnosis. In all three studies, independent groups of subjects were tested who were highly responsive to hypnotic suggestion. Data indicated that the incidence of pseudomemory response was stable and consistent when stringent criteria of scoring were adopted. Also, for some subjects, real and suggested memories were maintained at one and the same time when hypnotically induced memory was examined in different test settings, suggesting that pseudomemories do not permanently overlay real experience. Overall, contextual factors appeared to play a major role among susceptible subjects in determining the nature and incidence of hypnotically induced pseudomemories.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Effects of suggestibility and hypnosis on accurate and distorted retrieval from memory.

Research investigated the hypothesis inferred from the theorizing of Loftus that suggestibility is related to the tendency to incorporate incorrect information into memory when this information has been subtly introduced after the to-be-remembered events have occurred. Specifically, it was predicted that if level of suggestibility is theoretically relevant to subjects' acceptance of misleading information, then more subjects who are highly hypnotically suggestible than those with a low level of hypnotic suggestibility will incorporate the incorrect information into memory. Hypnotic as compared with waking instruction should enhance this distortion effect by providing a context of testing in which subjects are readily prone to respond positively to suggestions. Eight independent groups of 12 subjects were tested. Separate groups of subjects of high and low suggestibility were presented with misleading or neutral information about a wallet-snatching incident and tested for memory under either waking or hypnotic instruction. Analysis of subjects' memory distortions indicated that suggestibility plays a somewhat different role than has been argued previously. The magnitude of distortion that was observed varied according to the stimulus features that were studied, but hypnotic suggestibility was not associated with the distortion effect. Despite the fact that hypnosis did not enhance recall in any way, subjects were frequently confident that distorted memories recovered under hypnosis were accurate.

Female↗
PubMed1982

Secondary therapist variables operating in short-term insight-oriented, and behaviour therapy.

Three therapists from a short-term insight orientation and three practicing behaviour therapy each provided treatment to five clients over a three-month course of therapy. Measurement of therapists' attitudes was taken at the beginning of treatment, at the mid-point, and at the conclusion of therapy, and tapped the therapist's attitude towards the suitability of the treatment administered, the patient's attitude toward the therapist (as perceived by the therapist), the type of patient and problem presented, and attraction to and liking for the patient. Pre-post-outcome measurement was also undertaken on a range of selected criteria. Results showed that behaviour therapists both believed more in the efficacy of their treatment throughout the course of therapy, and perceived their clients to be more positively disposed towards them than did insight-oriented therapists. Data highlight the role played by such secondary factors as these therapist variables, and emphasize the potential error in attributing therapeutic effects solely to traditional primary variables defined in terms of the treatment techniques or procedures being utilized.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Imagery encouragement absorption capacity, and relaxation during electromyograph biofeedback.

This study focused on individual differences in subjects' capacities for absorption and examined the effects of instructions designed to encourage the use of imaginal processes during electromyography (EMG) biofeedback. Twenty-four high-absorption and 24 low-absorption subjects were assigned to either a biofeedback condition. Each subject participated in two sessions of testing. Results showed that instructional manipulation of imaginal strategies was effective in overcoming the previously observed interference effect of biofeedback for high-absorption subjects. For low-absorption subjects, performance in the two biofeedback conditions was equivalent and, by the end of each session, was appreciably greater than in the no-feedback condition. It was concluded that cognitive mediational strategies employed by subjects are closely related to performance during EMG biofeedback and that these strategies can be manipulated effectively in a manner that appreciably enhances the efficacy of EMG biofeedback as a relaxation.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Role of the feedback signal in electromyograph biofeedback: the relevance of attention.

This article describes two experiments designed to examine the hypothesis that the critical role of the feedback signal in frontalis electromyograph (EMG) biofeedback is an attentional one. In both experiments, high- and low-absorption subjects were assigned to either a biofeedback condition, a no-feedback condition, or an attentional demand condition in which external stimuli, related to relaxation, were presented as an attentional focus. The two experiments differed essentially in the type of attentional demand condition that was employed and varied the compelling nature of the demand on subjects for an external attentional focus. The pattern of results was consistent with the attentional hypothesis. For low-absorption subjects, performance in the biofeedback and attentional demand conditions was equivalent and appreciably greater than in the no-feedback condition. For high-absorption subjects, an interference effect of biofeedback was observed, but data indicated a similar interference effect on the performance of subjects when the attentional demand condition was most compelling. The pattern of results obtained point to the special relevance of attentional processes and highlight their lack of emphasis in contemporary theoretical models of EMG biofeedback.

Attention↗