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Goal-Directed Fantasy, Imaginative Involvement, and the Development of Suggestibility

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Goal-Directed Fantasy, Imaginative Involvement, and the Development of Suggestibility University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's Theses 1975 Goal-Directed Fantasy, Imaginative Involvement, and the Development of Suggestibility Martin W. Ham University of Rhode Island Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses Recommended Citation Ham, Martin W., "Goal-Directed Fantasy, Imaginative Involvement, and the Development of Suggestibility" (1975). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1598. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1598 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GOAL-DIRECTEDFANTASY , IMAGINATIVEINVOLVEJl1ENT , ANDTHE DEVELOPMENT OF SOOCESTIBILITY BY MARl'INW . HAM A THESIS SUBMITTEDIN PARl'liL FULFILLMENTOF THE ~lJIRB)IFl{TS FOR THE DmREE OF MASTEROF ARTS IN PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITYOF RHODEISLAND 1975 ABSTRACT studies have repeatedly demonstrated a developmental trend in suggestibility -- responsiveness to suggestions traditionally asso­ ciated with the tezm hypnotin is low for those under six years of age, r.lses to a peak near the ages of nine through eleven , and pro­ gressively declines the:reatter . It has also been consistently shown that with adult populations , involvement in task-relevant 1111agin­ ings , functions as a cognitive strategy enhancing response to sug­ gestion. On the basis of evidence such as this , at least one in­ vestigator, J. HUgam, has suggested that changes 1n responsiveness with age are due to variations 1n 1:mag1native 1nvolvaent . Speci­ fically , it has 'been proposed that the decline in suggestibility aay be the result of an increased developmental trend tolf&1'da :ra­ tional-logical mode of thinking , which is inconsistent with the in­ volvement in 1aag1.na.tive processes so important in responsiveness to suggestion . While the develOpllental literature relating to free fantasylike activity lends some support to this notion , no previous study has attempted to detemine either a) the relationship be­ tween the passing or falling of suggestions and involvement in task ­ relevant 1mag1nings in subjects from the lower age levels , orb) changes occur.lag in these imaginative involvements with age. In the present investigation , one hundred subjects between the ages of eight and seventeen were individually tested 1n a single 111 session . Each subject was administered standardised task -motiva­ tional instructions followed by an 8.1'1l-lev1tation suggestion , an arm-catalepsy suggestion, and an amnesia suggestion for the number four . Each subject was interviewed immediately after his response to each suggestion to deteJ:mine whether or not he engaged in sug­ gestion-related 1mag1n1ngsand , if so, the elaborateness and dur­ ation of these 1.magininge. It was found that , regax-dless of age , subjects who passed the suggestions a) tended to report engaging in suggestion-related imaginings , whereas those who did not respond were less likely to engage in this pattern of imaginative responding , and b) reported engaging in imaginings that were more elaborate and of longer dur­ ation than those who failed the suggestions . In addition , partial support was obtained regarding the notion of age trends in 1.mgin­ ative involvoent . Elaborateness and duration of imaginings were characteristically low for the youngest subjects , rose to a peak around the ages of ten to twelve , and declined thereafter . How­ ever , analyses indicated that only for elaborateness of imaginings in response to the amnesia suggestion was there a significant cur­ vilinear relation with age, the remaining relationships , while in the 88Jlle direction , did not achieve conventional. levels of signi ­ ficance . It is suggested that future research considering develop­ mental trends in imaginative involvement may prove to be more pro­ ductive if variations are examined across one-year age groups, and a larger battery of test suggestions is eaployed . iv ACKNOWLEJx:;fflmTS I would like to acknowledge the help of the many people who made this thesis project possible . First , although they wish t o rems.in anonymous, I want to thank the adll1n1strators , teachers , parents, and students of the school system 1n which this research was carried out :for their cooperation and patience . I also thank Dr. Albert Lott and the other members of my committee for their active interest and for patiently reading and 1.Jllprov1ngupon this manuscript . For stimulating and critical discussion of many as­ pects of this project , I would like to thank my friend and col ­ league, Dr. John Chaves. A special debt. of gratitude goes to Drs. Theodore x. Barber and Nicholas Spanos. It was Dr. Barber who first introduced Jle to hypnosis as a res8&1'Charea and provided ae with the opportunity to develop my skills . Both he and Dr. Spanos have unselfishly given innmerable hours in discussing and encouraging •7 research interests , and have served as constant sources of inspiration tor new ideas . Last , but certainly not least, I would like to express my aost sincere appreciation to my wife, Marie, for her persistent encouragement, aoral. support , and understanding . V 1... ABSTRAC'l'••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 111 ACKHOWLEMffffiTS•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LIST OF TABLSS..,•••••••• , ••••••••••••••••••••••••• LISTOF FIGURES•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LlS'l'OF APPDMOES.,••••••••• , •••••••••••••••• , •••• I HISTORICALPmBSPECTIVE.,,, ••••••••••••••••••• , •• ,., II JltACIIIATIYEPJCXlmssm AID Tim ~"~ OF SlCCESTimtn ••••••••••••• 7 Ill Ml'flt:)rx>LOCt••••••••• , ••••••••••••• , ••••••••••••• ,,. 13 IV Rt"8ULTs.• • • • •• ••••• • • • • • • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• •• • • •• •• 20 V lltSOUSSION,,,•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ,, •• , ••••• 33 VI APPSlfDICES,•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 41 VII I<EF.lfflOC"s.S••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 63 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Relationship Between Perf01'1D&Dceon the Anl- Levitation Suggestion and Engagementin Goal- Directed Fantasy for Each Age Group•••••• ••• •• ••• ••••• 21 2 Relationship Between Perfomanca on the Selective Amnesia Suggestion and Engageaent 1n Goal-Directed Fantasy for Each Age G1'0up•• •••••••••• •••••• •••• ••••• • 22 SUIDJl1U'7ot Mann-WhitneyU Tests Comparing the El.ab- o:rateness of Fantasy Reports Provided by Subjects WhoPassed the Am-Levitation and Selective Amnesia Suggestions With that of Subjects WhoFailed •~••• ••• •• 25 4 Summar:,of Mann-WhitneyU Testa Comparl.ng the Duration of Fantasy Reports P1'0v1dedby Subjects WhoPassed the Am-Levitation and SelectiTe Allnes1a Suggestions With that of Subjects WhoFailed ••••••••• ••• •• ••••••• • 28 5 Mean Elaborateness and Duration Sco:res• ••• •••••••• •••••• 29 vii LIST OF FIGtJR&q Figure Page 1 MeanElaborateness and Duration Scores Across AgeGroups ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 31 viii LIST OF APPENDIC!l5 Appendix Page A Form Letter Requesting Part1c1pat1on ••••••••••••••••• 41 B Manual for Scoring Goal D1Nctad Fanta.a7 ••••••••••••• 42 C Manual for Scoring Elaborateness and of Suggestion- Related Iaag1n1ngs••••••••••••••••••• 52 1x I HISTORICALPERSPECTIVE Four sets of phenomena have txaditionally been subsumed under the rubrlc of hypnotism. These 1ncludea a) heightened responsive­ ness to suggestions for am lowerlng , hand anesthesia , visual hal ­ lucination , selective amnesia , and the likes b) obeerY&ble changes in posture and movements such as limpness-relaxation , lack of spon­ taneity , fixed gaze , and psychoaotor retaJ.'dation1 c) reports of un­ usual alterations in body feelings such as changes in the size of the body or body parts and feelings of unreal.1 t;n and d) post ­ experlmental reports of having entered a unique state of conscious- ness . Historlcally , a variety of theories have been put forth in an attempt to explain the occurrence of phenomena such as these . Yet, one conceptualization has been dominant for the past 100 years . Basic to this conceptualization , which has commonly been labeled the trance-state app:roach, are two assumptionsa 1) Whena rltualistic cereaony collllllonlylabeled as hypnotic induction procedure is successful , a unique state of consciousness is induced which differs fundamentally from the waking state . This state has been varlously temed as the hYpnotic state , trance , or hy:pnosis. 2) The four sets of phenomena traditionally subsumed by the te1'11hypnotia result from the operation of this unique trance state . Moreover, the deeper this state , the more readily these phenomena are manifested. 2 Although the trance-state conceptualization has been dominant during the past century , critics have periodically asserted that the occurrence of hypnotic phenOJllenaneed not be assumed to result from the operation of an unusual state of consciousness . For instance , as early as 1823, Alexander Bertmnd concluded that, "••• The psychological phen0J1ena observed during the (hypnotic) state are not exceptional, but axe nomal , or at least phenomena which can be observed under various conditions . Artificial sonmanbulism• •• servea merely to render conspic­ uous and to aaplify phenomena dependent upon the wo1'k1.ngof th~ general laws of illagination, expec­ tant attention , and desire" (Bertrand , cited in Janet , 1925, vol . I , P• 157). Nearly a quarter of a centu:t')' later , James Braid , in his theory of monoideiBlll, wrote that , "hypnotin occurs
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