ipl-logo

Hypnosis And Memory Essay

459 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What conclusion would you make about hypnosis and memory

It is a widely-known popular believe that hypnosis can unlock repressed or hidden memories. With so many television shows and movies suggesting that the use of hypnosis may help a witness to remember the face of a criminal or the exact details of an event, it is no surprise that hypnosis has taken root as a credible method of memory retrieval. As an article from the American Psychological Association states, “… people may believe hypnotically induced memories are more reliable, mirroring a mistaken cultural belief that hypnosis acts like a truth serum. Hypnosis is "on thin ice" when used to recover memories, as is the case with most other memory retrieval techniques” (Smith). In order to more fully understand this myth, it is important to consider which demographics believe in it and what exactly they believe. 70% of introductory psychology students (92 surveyed) believed that hypnosis would be useful in helping witnesses to recall details of crimes (Lilienfeld et al. 70). Approximately 90% of college students say that hypnosis helps with memory retrieval (Lilienfeld et al. 70). 84% of psychologists believe that memories are stored in the mind …show more content…

“… some therapists convinced patients they had been molested or abused as children because of hypnotically induced memories, which often had no evidence to support them. As a result, many innocent people were wrongly accused of abuse in hundreds of court cases” (Smith). Memories can be highly suggestable, so the use of hypnosis with memory is never going to be an exact science. If, for example, one is under hypnosis and is asked a leading question about a memory, fictional or not, their memories may become altered to fit the scenario described. People are often unsettlingly confident in these hypnotically-induced memories (Lilienfeld et al. 73), which can lead to incorrect testimony or

Show More
Related

Summary Of Morgan V Sate

782 Words | 4 Pages

2d 903 (Fla. 3d DCA), cert. denied, 336 So. 2d 1184 (Fla. 1976) The danger of admitting hypnotically refreshed testimony is outweighed by the ability to prove the evidence reliable. Rock v. State, 288 Ark. 566, 573, 708 S.W.2d 78, 81 (1986) The testimony of a defendant, who submits to pretrial hypnosis, is admissible if he or she takes the stand.

Read More

Troy Davis Case

736 Words | 3 Pages

Research provided by the Innocence Project shows that Hundreds of people are accused of crimes they have never committed just because of eyewitness testimony and factors which distorted memory. Can we even trust our memory after knowing so many innocent people have been convicted? Coming back to the question: How does crime affect memory? Looking at the studies of Ronald Cotton and Bennett Barbour, they tell us that crime distorts the memory of a victim. In both cases, the victim identified the wrong person as their assailant.

Read More

R. V. Montana Case Summary

1165 Words | 5 Pages

First, this ideology that hypnosis leads participants to have heightened confidence levels in their memory recall can result in a testimony that can sway a jury and possibly lead to the false incarceration of an innocent person. Second, the research that was conducted also concludes that hypnosis does not improve memory; people in a hypnotic state are as likely to incorporate irrelevant information into their testimonies as regular people are. This makes the recall elicited under hypnosis as reliable as the memory produced regularly. Accuracy levels among the memories recalled in the studies signify that memories recalled under hypnosis are no more accurate than the memories of a regular eye-witness. With regards to the case, the testimony provided by Mrs. Walter should be deemed inadmissible because any information provided to the court through the use of hypnosis should be disregarded, as it does not add any value to the memory Mrs. Walter is trying to

Read More

Innocence Project Report On The Case Of Jennifer Moore Case

2099 Words | 9 Pages

In reality the memory can be affected by numerous outside stimuli and previous beliefs. Due to television, one of the most well know detective tactics in the police arsenal is forensic

Read More

How Does Loftus Study False Memories

423 Words | 2 Pages

It is unlikely that social consequences of false memories can be avoided. Elizabeth Loftus was intrigued to study false memories, and is perhaps personally responsible for subsequent developments throughout the history of false memories. Some of this history addresses various theories aimed at isolating how or why false memories occur. These include Source Monitoring Framework, Activation Monitoring Theory, Fuzzy Trace Theory, and strategies for persuasion which can lead to the development of false memory. Such persuasion leads to the present discussion concerning how persuasion in the judicial system has created false confessions and wrongful eyewitness testimonies, due to the Misinformation Effect.

Read More

What Is The Case Of Ronald Cotton Case Study

1552 Words | 7 Pages

In a study done four years before the rape accord, they found that memories can become contagious and manipulated. If the subject picks a face that is close to the face they are trying to identify, they are more likely to perpetually select that person thereafter (Loftus & Green, 1980). When Jennifer was choosing a suspect from the lineup, she selected Ronald with confidence. Jennifer was later given affirmation by the detective, who told her she chose the same person from the mug shot. Thorndike’s Law of Effect, from almost a century earlier, shows positive feedback to a choice or decision can strengthen a memory in any animal (Thorndike, 1898).

Read More

Analysis Of The Article Her Memory, Her Dad On Trial In-69 Killing

795 Words | 4 Pages

The third part of this was a another scan while they were asked from memory to remember the pairs. They were not able to remember many of the pairs. The results showed that the test subjects were able to consciously repress the memory of the second word of the pairs. Proving that the brain is able to repress memories. Based on my research and my own opinions, I was able to ascertain from many accounts that a suppressed memory is most likely to resurface when an incident happens that slightly resembles what occurred of felt in the repressed memory.

Read More

A Stir Of Echoes Movie Analysis

583 Words | 3 Pages

Hypnosis is a topic widely discussed throughout society. There are many different points of view on it, whether it’s a battle between its existence, or a debate on the pros and cons associated with it. One can say it’s amazing; the fact that one can potentially read the lives of others. One may differ and find the idea disgusting, taking into consideration the privacy invasion. There is an interesting book written exactly on the consequences of hypnosis, called “A Stir of Echoes,” by Richard Matheson.

Read More

Elizabeth Loftus Repressed Memories: True And False

1279 Words | 6 Pages

There are a significant number of people tried for crimes that they did not commit based off of another’s repressed memory. Elizabeth Loftus made it her goal to find justice for those wrongfully accused. It is hard to say whether or not those accused are truly innocent or not, but what we can say is that too many people are being locked away without all the right evidence; just another’s memory of what might have happened. Loftus found it unlikely that any one person could forget such a traumatic experience, than remember is years later. Plenty of cases have these memory based convictions has their primary source of evidence, however, a repressed memory should not be a legit piece of evidence when attempting to convict another.

Read More

Witness For The Defense Elizabeth Loftus

1447 Words | 6 Pages

Part One is very informational and contains the bulk of the book’s research. The information was presented in a thesis format; Loftus stated a claim and then supported her ideas with research and quotations from experts in the field of law and memory. Part One is helpful for psychologists, attorneys, and interested law people. The major principles concerning the errors in eyewitness testimony are supported by research and are accepted by psychologists (Kassin, Ellsworth, & Smith, 1989). Part One will contribute to the future of psychology by showcasing how the memory works and the different ways it is manipulated and changed: this will allow jurors and lawyers to become more wary when dealing with a traumatized

Read More

False Memories And False Confessions Summary

710 Words | 3 Pages

This is called “repressed memory”, a concept invented by Sigmund Freud, which Julia does not really trust as it is not scientifically proven: "There are still psychoanalytic schools saying repression is something we need to look for. So we've got universities teaching this nonsense to people" (Bryce, 2017, para.

Read More

Hypnosis In Popular Culture

701 Words | 3 Pages

According the American Psychological Association, it is “a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests while treating someone, that he or she experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts or behavior. Although some hypnosis is used to make people more alert, most hypnosis includes suggestions for relaxation, calmness and well-being.” (APA, n.d.) Groundbreaking experiments have shown that hypnosis seems to be akin to a “hacking” mode to the brain (Mendelsohn, Chalamish, Solomonovich, & Dubai, 2008), which influences brain activity (Graham, 2005) and not just behavior and experience. Even so, studies have also shown that individuals vary in their susceptibility to

Read More

Essay On Hypnosis

906 Words | 4 Pages

Hypnosis What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which an individual loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover repressed memories or to allow modification of behavior by suggestion, has been revived but is still controversial (Psychology Today). While hypnosis is often associated with sideshow performances, it's not a magical act.

Read More

Self Hypnosis Essay

1373 Words | 6 Pages

It can impart creative solutions to our problem. It can outshine the ordinary to touch upon a wisdom far beyond our everyday capabilities. Hypnosis accesses the wisdom of the subconscious in a focused way in order to achieve healing. There is a broad spectrum of hypnosis techniques. They are designed to tap into a broad spectrum of hypnotic states, from light to deep

Read More

Cognitive Restructuring Essay

1121 Words | 5 Pages

This is where the patient may revivify a past traumatic experience and start to relive the physical and emotional pain. Under hypnosis it is very important to establish a safe and secure ‘place’ for the patient that they can freely explore their deeper memories without fear. Another advantage of hypnosis is the very relaxed state. A patient in a relaxed state is more open to new ideas of thinking. A session of hypnosis is beneficial for the calm state it creates and it allows the patient in some way to ‘work out’ their

Read More

More about Hypnosis And Memory Essay

Related Topics

Open Document