Unit 5 (C):
Hypnosis
Mr. McCormick
A.P. Psychology
Do-Now
(Discussion)
What is hypnosis?
How effective do you
think it is?
Hypnosis
 Hypnosis:
 A social interaction in which one person (the
hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject)
that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or
behaviors will spontaneously occur
Hypnosis
Hypnos: Greek God of Sleep
Hypnosis
What kind of individuals
can most easily
experience the
full effects of hypnosis?
Hypnosis
Can hypnosis
force people to act
against their will?
Hypnosis:
Facts and Falsehood
Those who practice hypnosis agree that its power
resides in the subject’s openness to suggestion.
Can anyone experience hypnosis?
Yes, to some extent.
Can hypnosis enhance recall of
forgotten events?
No.
Hypnosis:
Facts and Falsehood
Can hypnosis force people to act
against their will?
No.
Can hypnosis be therapeutic?
Yes. Self-suggestion
can heal too.
Can hypnosis alleviate pain?
Yes. Lamaze can
do that too.
Hypnosis
 Hypnosis may begin with putting
the patient in a trance
Hypnosis in Therapy
 Posthypnotic Suggestion:
 A suggestion, made during a
hypnosis session, to be
carried out after the subject is
no longer hypnotized; used
by some clinicians to help
control undesired symptoms
and behaviors
 E.g. Helping clients quit
smoking
Hypnosis in Therapy
 What are some other
examples of
posthypnotic suggests
that hypnotherapists
might use?
Explaining the Hypnotized State
 Hypnosis can be explained by biological,
psychological, and social-cultural influences
 Social Influence Theory:
 Hypnotic subjects may simply be imaginative
actors playing a social role
 Divided Consciousness Theory:
 Hypnosis is a special state of dissociated
(divided) consciousness
 Similar to “doodling” while listening to a teacher
Explaining the Hypnotized State
Review
 What is hypnosis and what are some of its
purposes?
 How do hypnotherapists put patients into a state of
hypnosis?
 How do psychologists know that hypnosis cannot
enable patients to recall forgotten events?
 Differentiate between the Divided-Consciousness
Theory and the Social Influence Theory of
Hypnosis.
Homework
 Unit 5 Quiz: “States of Consciousness”
 Research Study Response #8: “Acting as if
You Are Hypnotized” (Pgs. 56-64)
 Unit 5 Test: “States of Consciousness”
 Chapter 7 Outline: “Learning”