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>Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 11:20:34 -0400
>To: "02 - UFO UpDates Subscribers":;
>From: UFO UpDates - Toronto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: UFO UpDate: Research Proposal - Hypnotic Suggestibility
>
>From: Tim D. Brigham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Research Proposal - Hypnotic Suggestibility
>Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 23:39:00 -0500
>
>
>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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---
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