Field Study of the Forensic Use of Hypnosis

• NCJ Number: 116388
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: special issue (October 1987) Pages: 418-429
• Author(s): J C Yuille; C K Kim
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 12 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: French; English
• Country: Canada
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This paper reports a field study of selected cases from police files in which hypnosis had been used as a memory aid.

Abstract

The cases were selected so that they contained sufficient evidence to evaluate the accuracy of witnesses' accounts and to be representative of those in which hypnosis is typically used. Hypnosis was found to almost triple the amount of information which witnesses provided compared to a standard interview conducted prior to the hypnosis interview, with no loss in accuracy. A survey of the procedure employed during hypnotic interviews revealed that in addition to hypnosis the procedure included known memory aids. It was concluded that hypnosis may not be the basis for the assumed memory improvement associated with hypnotic interviews. Instead it may be the cognitive instructions incorporated in the hypnotic interview which improve recall. Witnesses were found to be about 80 percent accurate in the information they provided, regardless of the type of interview. Table, 30 references. (Author abstract modified).