INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly fmrn the original or copy submitted. Thus, soma thesis and dissertation copies are in îypewriter face, while others may be hmany type of cornputer pnnter. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon aie quaMy of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedttimugh, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely afktreproduction. In the uniikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion- Oversize materials (e.g., maps, d-ngs, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and mtinuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been repmduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6' x 9" black and white photographie pnnts are available for any photographs or illustrations appeafing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI direcüy to order. Bell & Howell Infannation and Leaming 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1 346 USA Psychological Correlates of the UFO Abduction Experience: The Role of Beliefs and Indirect Suggestions on Abduction Accounts Obtained During Hypnosis Duncan J. A. Day A Thesis in The Department of Psychology Presented in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada June 1998 O Duncan J. A. Day, 1998 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliogmphic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON KiA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Ywr li*, Votre reierence Our die Notre rëYrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, 10- distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Psychological Correlates of the UFO Abduction Experience: The Role of Beliefs and Indirect Suggestions on Abduction Accounts Obtained During Hypnosis Duncan J. A. Day, Ph.D. Concordia University, 1998 Reports of UFO abductions continue to increase in number in North America, the details of which are most commonly obtained in a quasi- therapeutic context, often involving hypnosis. In a series of studies at Concordia, we examined the phenomenology of these reports, the people who report them, and the roles which hypnosis and belief systems may play in such reports. Part 1 examined UFO abductees, and their experiences in the context of their hypnotizability, beliefs, and cognitive style. Our findings supplemented those of earlier studies (i.e., Spanos, 1987; Lawson, 1977) which indicated that, although abductees did not differ from the general population in tems of psychopathology, they did display different personality traits and cognitive styles prone to fantasty, conspiratorial thinking, and a higher degree of pre-existing beliefs in UFO-related phenornena. Part 2 examined the extent to which pre-hypnotic suggestions would be incorporated into hypnotic narratives of UFO abductions in a group of non-abductee volunteers. Suggestions resembling popular cultural aspects of abductions were incorporated into the hypnotic narratives of participants when they were asked to describe an imagined abduction experience. Part 3 examined the extent to which such simulated reports can be disthguished from the daims of bonn jide abductees. Transcribed portions of both imaginary and putative actual abduction accounts were rated as being real or imagined by trained clinicians, and educated non-clinicianç. The mean accwacy of the raters at distinguishing actual accounts from imagined was 51%, or chance level. The results are discuçsed in the context of rnemory distortion and confabulatory processes, and the potential role hypnosis plays in exacerbating these processes. Acknowledgments This work codd not have been completed without the help and support of Jean-Roch Laurence, Ph.D. His conceptual and technical guidance helped to bring this research to fruition, and it is with gratitude to him. that 1present it. It would also have been much more difficult to complete without the participation of Michel Deloire, who helped make contact with several of the abductee participants. The stimulating discussions with both Michel and Jean-Roch not only made this work better, they helped to make it fun. I would also like to thank Dr. Rick Gumsey for helping me to find the right path. 1 also owe a debt of gratitude to Kristina Kandyba, M.A. for helping with the content analysis, Ellen Legault, MSc., and Daniela Maestri, M.A. for their support and assistance, and Sherry Stewart, Ph.D. for her generous donation of Iab space and tirne during the data collection phase at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Perhaps most importantly, 1 owe much of the credit for the following work to my parents, Barry and Lilia Day for support that took so many forms they cannot be counted; to my sisters Kathryn and Lorna and their families, and Susan Coolen. They never wavered in their support of my efforts during this lengthy process, and they never seemed to show any doubt in my ability to actually do it. Gary Larson (the cartoo~st)dedicated one of his books as follows: "When 1 was a boy our house was filled with monsters. They lived in the closets, under the beds, in the attic, in the basernent, and - when it was dark - just about everywhere. This book is dedicated to my father, who kept me safe from aU of them." Likewise, Mom and Dad. This is for you. Table of Contents Page List of Figures ix List of Tables Introduction UFO abductions: An ovemiew An emerging pattern The UFO comection Contactees as predecessors to abductees Syrnptoms Cryptomnesia and Culture Views on UFO abductions: Modem Myths, Mass Hysteria, or Extraterrestrials Abduction Explanations: The Experts Narratives as reality Abductees and Psychopathology Beliefs and Attitudes Neurological Anomalies Sleep Disturbances Memory Hypnosis The Present Studies ,'= ,'= Part 1 UFO abductees and their narratives Method Participants Inclusion criteria Procedure Scoring procedure vii Materials Apparatus Results Content analysis Discussion Part 2 Confabulation Control: Modelling Cultural Influences Simulation Versus Confabulation Method Participants Procedure Ma terials Suggestions Results Discussion Part 3 Cornparison of Narrative Content: Believe it or Not Signal Detection Hypothesis Method Participants Procedure Ratings Materials Narrative excerpts Results Discussion The abductors and myth General Discussion The Possible Psychological Explanations Acquiring mernories for UFO abduction Conclusion References Appendices Curriculum Vitae List of Figures Figure 1 Schematic rpresentation of Experiment 1 procedure Figure 2 Predicted group meam for medical procedure content and special communications content in non-abductee hypnotic narratives of abduction. Figure 3 Experiment 2 mean content scores by suggestion condition Figure 4 Mean rating accuracy for abductee and non-abductee narrative content List of Tables Table 1 Symptoms indicative of UFO abduction Table 2 Participant demographics summary table Table 3 Content summaries of eleven primary MPQ scales Table 4 Participants beliefs and attitudes summary table Table 5 Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) group scores Table 5a Multidomensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) Statistics Table 5b NEO-PI-R group scores and statistics Table 5c NEO-PI-R group subscale scores Table 5d Content elaboration statistical tests Table 6 Participant demographics summary table Table 7 Experiment 2 group and collapsed means summary table for hypnotizability, beliefs, and attitudes Table 7a Ana;yses of group differences for three key variables Table 8 Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) Experiment 2 group scores collapsed across groups Table 9 Experiment 2 group and collapsed means summary table for selected narrative content categories Table 9a Tests for bivariate correlation of content distributions Table 9b Test statistics for planned cornparisons in Experiment 2 145 Table 10 Analysis of raters' performances Table 10a Raters' performances Hypnosis and UFO abductions 1 In September 1961, Betty and Bamey Hill were driving through New Hampshire on a retum trip from a visit to Montreal. During the late evening hours, their joumey was interrupted by an encounter that is now hailed as the most famous case of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) abductions ever reported. A brief description compiled from later accounts can summarize how events allegedly transpired that night. The Hills were driving on Route 3 beneath