Loftus, E.F. & Mazzoni, G. A. L. (1998). Using imagination and personalized suggestion to change people. Behavior Therapy, 29, 691-706.
This summary of Loftus & Mazzoni’s article presented to you by Megan A. Mooney
I. General Types of Research on Suggestion by Authority Figures
A. Eyewitness Studies - suggested info. is accepted an incorporated into later report
B. False Childhood Memory Studies - relative supplies the "memory" and researcher tricks people through suggestions using this info.
C. Imagery Studies - people imagine a false event in the presence of an "authority" (just ask Megan and Erica about how well this one works).
II. Expert Personalized Suggestion (EPS) Paradigm
A. The expert conveys the idea that (s)he has fabulous knowledge, experience, and expertise (duh) that the subject does not have. (S)he personalizes suggestions to individual subjects based on info. provided by the subjects (i.e. from dream material).
B. Brief Summary of their Previous Study:
|
Ss report on childhood experiences using LEI |
Therapy simulation w/experts suggestions given during dream interpretation |
Ss again report on childhood experiences |
Finding is increased confidence that suggested events happen |
III. This Study
A. Participants: 24 students (18f, 6m) from U. of Florence
1. Two groups: "Dream Danger" or "Dream Lost"
2. One group served as control for the other (i.e. if you receive "get lost" suggestion you serve as a control for the "endangered" group
B. Method
1. All Ss given Life Events Inventory (to get baseline for childhood events)
a. 36 items
b. Rate confidence on 8-point scale of whether something happened before age 3
c. 6 critical items: 3 "Danger" items and 3 "Lost" items
2. Dream Interpretation Phase (supposedly separate study approx. 1-2 wks. later)
a. Ss asked to bring in a recent, recurrent, or vivid dream
b. Ss read dream aloud and provide some interpretation or comment
c. Clinical psychologist (expert) boasts about experience and offers dream interpretation along w/ suggestion (either of being lost or in danger)
d. *** The key feature was to "suggest to subjects that the dream was the overt manifestation of repressed memories of events that happened before the age 3."
3. LEI administered again about 4 weeks later
C. Results - See the fabulous charts on pp.698-699 of the article
Basically, the subjects who received the suggestions for being lost ("Dream Lost")show an increased confidence that this event did happen to them while the controls showed decreased confidence that this event happened - the same was true for those in the "Dream Danger" condition
IV. Conclusions:
A. Ss become more confident that they had had a certain childhood experience after their interpretation session
B. The exact reason for this effect is not quite clear. Is it the authority figure, personalized nature of the suggestion, internal imagery, use of dream material, or a personal motivation by Ss for self-understanding.
C. There are important implications for psychotherapists who use dream material and interpretation in therapy (i.e. beware of purposeful and less-conscious suggestions to patients).
D. "Shiny, Happy People Prophecy"
The authors give say that the power of suggestion can be harnessed for the purpose of good by giving health-conscious suggestions and therefore improving people’s lives