NCJ Number
121928
Date Published
Unknown
Length
12 pages
Annotation
An experimental study was conducted to replicate the findings of Stager and Lundy regarding recall under hypnosis and to determine if these findings would hold if the report criterion was controlled.
Abstract
Stager and Lundy reported in 1985 that highly hypnotizable persons who were questioned during hypnosis about a film they had previously seen reported significantly more correct information than any other treatment group and did so without increasing the amount of erroneous information provided. However, the participants were not required to answer each question. In contrast, the present research required each subject to answer each question, even if the answer was a guess. This requirement was in effect both before and during hypnosis. The participants were 78 student volunteers who were classified as either low or high in hypnotic ability on two scales. They viewed a film and completed questionnaires about the film immediately, 4 days later, and in forced-recall tests conducted between 4 and 12 days after the initial group session. Before the second forced-recall test, they were randomly assigned to either a hypnosis or a wake condition. Results showed that all participants had greater recall from the baseline to the treatment tests, but that the hypnotized participants did not have superior recall. Findings indicate a lack of scientific evidence supporting the forensic use of hypnosis to refresh eyewitness recall. Figures.