The Power of Suggestion: Programming, Autosuggestion and Indirect Suggestion - Article Example

2nd December The Power of Suggestion Suggestion is defined as a psychological process in which one individual guides or dictates the thoughts or behaviours of another individual (Smyth & McGinty, 2003). Hypnosis is one of the more well-known forms of suggestion, but there are also techniques such as neuro-linguistic programming, autosuggestion and indirect suggestion. These techniques have all been shown to be effective to varying degrees, and may be used to persuade an individual to confess a wrongdoing, tell the truth or confess to improper behavior. All of these elements of suggestion are linked in some way, but can be examined separately to show their use in perpetrating honesty in an individual. The purpose of this paper is to explore how these techniques mentioned above can be used to induce an individual to confess to a misdemeanor by using examples from the current literature on the power of suggestion. Hypnosis Hypnosis has been used in a wide variety of psychological contexts for decades. The use of psychology as a tool for suggestion is one of these contexts; hypnosis can be used to induce certain behaviours in an individual. Hypnosis is defined as a ‘state of aroused, attentive, focused concentration with a relative constriction of peripheral awareness’ (Schacter & Cole, 1997, p127), with an increased responsiveness to social cues. It is this increased responsiveness that is most useful for suggestion techniques, as an individual can theoretically respond to these social cues in a way in which the perpetrator requires. Under hypnosis, an individual can be coerced into having an altered state of being, and if desired this can be a state of open, honest behaviours (Hull, 1933). This aspect of hypnosis is generally associated most strongly with forensic psychology, as in this context honest behavior is conducive to the legal procedure. The concept of honesty can be seen as a suggestible cognitive phenomenon; something which can be manipulated with hypnosis. Oakley & Hallam (2009) have suggested that the procedure of hypnosis increases the suggestibility of the individual; that is, response to suggestion is increased by the process of hypnosis. It has also been shown that individuals who are highly susceptible to hypnosis display decreased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), an area of the brain linked with several cognitive functions such as decision-making and involuntary conflict (Raz, Fan & Posner, 2005). Reduction in activity in the ACC corresponds with a reduction in involuntary conflict ad a change in the information processing style of the brain (Raz, Fan & Posner, 2005). In some individuals, hypnosis therefore can be used to reduce conflict within the brain and therefore could induce involuntary honesty , and may persuade an individual to confess to improper behavior. Again, it must be noted that this technique has been used in courtrooms and has been heavily analyzed under the academic domain of forensic psychology. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is one of the more highly contested areas of psychology but is still considered relevant in the study of the power of suggestion. NLP refers to a set of ideas that suggests that neurological and linguistic brain processes have been developed by programming and thus can be developed further or changed in their mechanism by further programming (Heap, 1988). Interestingly, some of these neurological processes have been implicated in the law-enforcement profession as being indicative of the truth status of a statement from an individual (Helm, 2003); perhaps if these are linked then some neuro-linguistic programming can be used to induce truth-telling behavior in some cases. Neuro-linguistic pogramming has been shown to be effective in the treatment of phobias (Karunaratne, 2010), suggesting that it is a useful technique. If an individual can be suggested into forgetting something as important and personal as a phobia, it seems that they could equally be programmed into changing another personality trait, such as becoming more honest. There doesn’t, however, seem to be much research into using NLP to induce honesty, except in a forensic context. Helm (2003) found that NLP can be used to ‘decipher truth’ in a criminal mind, using the technique to encourage more open communication between the investigator and the criminal individual. The use of NLP here is mainly focused on building a rapport with the individual and mirroring the movements to encourage trust between the investigator and the investigated. This has shown some positive results, so it can be assumed that NLP is useful in inducing truth behaviors in some individuals. Autosuggestion Autosuggestion has been classified as a conscious hypnosis, because it is believed that many individuals cannot be hypnotized against their will (Cohen & Harrick, 1980). Autosuggestion relies on the principle of putting thoughts into the individual’s conscious mind and allowing them to come to believe them. In this sense, autosuggestion can be used to encourage an individual to become more honest by suggesting that honesty is a positive characteristic and encouraging the conscious individual to believe that honesty will bring them positive results. Autosuggestion can be achieved using simple changes in semantics (Pocheptsov, 1992). Autosuggestion has been found to be more effective in children, as their memories can be distorted more easily (Cohen & Harrick, 1980). Conclusion In conclusion, it seems that there are many ways of manipulating individuals consciously or unconsciously into telling the truth or being more honest about certain misdemeanors. All of the techniques outlined above have their strengths and weaknesses and not all of them are approved by everyone in the psychological community. Hypnosis is the most researched and perhaps the most effective, but some people are more susceptible to this than others and it may not work for all individuals. Autosuggestion is not necessarily useful in inducing individuals into becoming more truthful, but it is a powerful suggestion technique. NLP is widely known to be effective in many and has been used in the law courts, and relies on a simple set of techniques. It cannot be said that any of these are more effective than others, as it does depend on the individual, but it must be noted that there are some powerful suggestive techniques that can all be employed in manipulating an individual into becoming more truthful. Works Cited Cohen, R.L., and M.A. Harnick. “The susceptibility of child witnesses to suggestion.” Law and Human Behavior 4.3 (1980): 201–210. Print. Heap, M. “Neuro-linguistic programming.” Hypnosis: current clinical, experimental and forensic practices. London: Croom Helm (1988): 268–280. Print. Helm, D.J. “Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Deciphering Truth in the Criminal Mind.” Journal article by David Jay Helm; Education 124 (2003): n. pag. Print. Hull, C.L. “Hypnosis and suggestibility.” (1933): n. pag. Print. Mahishika, Karunaratne. “Neuro-linguistic programming and application in treatment of phobias.” Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 16.4 (2010): 203-207. Web. 6 Dec. 2011. Oakley, David A, and Peter W. Halligan. “Hypnotic suggestion and cognitive neuroscience.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences 13.6 (2009): 264-270. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. Pocheptsov, Oleg G. “MIND YOUR MIND: Or Some Ways of Distorting Facts While Telling the Truth.” ETC: A Review of General Semantics 49.4 (1992): 398-404. Print. Raz, Amir, Jin Fan, and Michael I. Posner. “Hypnotic suggestion reduces conflict in the human brain.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 102.28 (2005): 9978 -9983. Web. 2 Dec. 2011. Schacter, Daniel L., and Joseph T. Coyle. Memory distortion: how minds, brains, and societies reconstruct the past. Harvard University Press, 1997. Print. Smyth, B., and L. McGinty. “The power of suggestion.” INTERNATIONAL JOINT CONFERENCE ON ARTIFICIAL IN?LIGENCE. Vol. 18. 2003. 127–132. Print. Read More