UFO UpDates Mailing List
From: Tim D. Brigham <TBrigham@ksinc.net>
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 23:39:00 -0500
Fwd Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 11:20:34 -0400
Subject: Research Proposal - Hypnotic Suggestibility
Subject: Research Proposal - Hypnotic Suggestibility, Event
Related Brain Potentials, and Paranormal Experiences
Hello all,
After some talk with various members of this list in regards to
abduction research, I have finally finished a rough draft of a
research proposal which grew out of these discussions. It has
changed quite a bit from my original intentions and is less
obviously related to UFOs. Original plans were to have abduction
experiencers be specifically sought out and have them examine
ambiguous stimuli while brain potentials were recorded via EEG,
and these results would be compared to controls. The focus has
shifted to examine the theoretical "fantasy prone personality,"
paranormal belief and experiences, and how all of this may may
relate to hypnotic suggestibility as well as what goes on in the
brain when people evaluate ambiguous stimuli. I think it has
taken on a more 'doable' (and yes, conservative) form, and may
lay some groundwork for future research which is more directly
related to UFOs/abductions. I have in no way written off more
directly related UFO/abduction studies, and I hope to get the
chance to push the envelope a bit more in the future. The
abstract follows, as well as an earlier "pre-proposal" which
gives a bit more detail. If anyone cares to review the full
proposal, feel free to request it (just so I can avoid spamming
20 pages over the list to those who dont want it).
Best,
Tim Brigham
---
Research Proposal:
Hypnotic Suggestibility, Event Related Potentials, Stimulus
Ambiguity, and Fantasy Proneness
Abstract
The proposed study aims to explore the nature of hypnotic
suggestibility and how decisions are made regarding ambiguous
external stimuli. Three categories of visual stimuli, differing
in ambiguity, will be presented immediately following recorded
oral statements regarding these stimuli. Some of these
statements will be accurate while others will be inaccurate.
Participants will indicate agreement or disagreement with the
oral statement after the visual stimuli is presented. Event
Related Potential data will be obtained via scalp electrodes
during stimulus trials, and this data will allow objective
measurement and comparison of cognitive processes at work.
Fantasy proneness, cognitive failures, and reports of personal
paranormal experiences and beliefs will also be measured. The
researcher hypothesizes that highly hypnotizable participants
will demonstrate a greater degree of suggestibility than low
hypnotizables while in a hypnotic state of the same depth. It is
further hypothesized that fantasy proneness and cognitive
failures will correlate positively with hypnotic suggestibility.
____________________
Pre-Proposal
Hypnotic Suggestibility, Event Related Potentials, Stimulus
Ambiguity, Fantasy Proneness, and Paranormal Experiences
The proposed study aims to explore the nature of hypnotic
suggestibility and how decisions are made regarding ambiguous
stimuli. Event Related Potential data will be obtained via scalp
electrodes during stimulus trials, and this data will allow
objective measurement and comparison of cognitive events at work.
It is also hoped that data will be gathered that will provide
information regarding if and how decision making processes are
related to fantasy proneness and level of hypnotizability. A
total of 30 participants will be involved in the study, with 15
selected because they test "high in hypnotizability" and the
remaining 15 because they test "low in hypnotizability." All
participants will be involved in the research in both hypnotized,
and 'normal,' states of consciousness. Randomization and counter-
balancing will be used in determining the order of each
individual's participation, and the order in which groups of
stimuli are presented.
Participants will be presented with images (via a computer
monitor) using the STIM system located in the Neurocognition Lab
at The University of West Florida, and oral statements regarding
the nature of these stimuli will be presented by the researcher,
in pre- recorded form, just before each image is presented.
Participants will indicate whether they agree disagree with the
oral statement presented by pressing the corresponding button on
a provided input device.
Three categories of images will be used as stimuli. The first
category of images presented will be extremely simple in nature.
In 50% of images in this category, the screen will be filled with
a solid color. The researcher will present an oral statement
regarding the nature of the stimulus. In half of these cases the
statement will be accurate regarding the nature of the stimulus
("true"), while in other cases it will be obviously inaccurate
("false"). As an example of an accurate statement, in a case in
which the screen color is green, the researcher would state "The
screen color will be green." In the inaccurate cases, the
researcher might state, before a green screen is presented, "This
is blue." Simple geometric shapes will also be presented
(independently) as stimuli in 50% of the trials. In these cases,
the researcher will either accurately describe the upcoming
stimulus' shape or inaccurately describe it (e.g. "This is a
triangle").
The second category of images will be selected from the Rorschach
Test and will, therefore, be much more ambiguous in nature.
Statements regarding the stimuli will again be presented, in this
case, suggestions as to what the image resembles. Some of these
statements will be selected because they are statements commonly
made by people who view that particular Rorschach blot (ex. "This
resembles a butterfly."), while other statements will be crafted
so that they bear little resemblance to the image (e.g. the
statement that "This is a hammer" when it's shape obviously does
not resemble a hammer).
The third category of images will be selected from the Thematic
Apperception Test (TAT), and will also be ambiguous in nature.
The oral statements presented preceding these images will be
regarding the nature of events supposedly depicted. Similar to
the Rorschach images, some of these statements will be selected
from responses commonly given by people who are being
administered the TAT (ex. "This man is preparing for work"),
while other statements regarding the events pictured will be
selected because they would require a much larger cognitive 'leap
' agreement.
In addition, all participants will undergo a brief "control data"
gathering session, in which they are instructed, while in an
ordinary state of consciousness, to deliberately indicate
agreement with statements which they consciously know to be
inaccurate or false. ERPs will be recording during these sessions
and the results will be used to determine if episodes in which
participants are consciously acting against their own judgements
differ from data gathered in which 'misjudgments' are presumed to
be unintentional or the result of hypnotic suggestion.
Tests administered to participants will include: The Stanford
Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, which will be the first test
administered to potential participants, to evaluate their level
of hypnotizability. Once participants have been selected, more
tests will be administered. The Inventory of Childhood Memories
and Imaginings (ICMI), a modified version of The Paranormal
Belief Scales (PBS), and The Creative Experiences Questionnaire
(CEQ), will be administered to assess if any of the participants
can be classified as "Fantasy Prone Personalities." Results of
these tests will be evaluated to determine if they yield any
correlation to hypnotizability or participants' accuracy in
judging the ambiguous stimuli. The Dissociative Experiences Scale
(DES), The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), will also be
administered.
Information gathered from this study will include: Are
participants more prone to agree with inaccurate statements when
hypnotized? Do participants scoring high on hypnotizability make
these inaccurate judgements more often than participants who
score low in hypnotizability? Do the ERPs of participants who
agree with inaccurate statements indicate that they truly do not
perceive any incongruence, and is this influenced by whether they
are in an 'ordinary' or hypnotized state of consciousness? And
are there correlational relationship(s) between, fantasy
proneness, hypnotizability, and suggestibility?
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