Cognitive Activity in Response to Hypnotic Suggestion: Goal-Directed Fantasy and Selective Amnesia

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Abstract
Forty female Ss assigned to either a hypnotic or task-motivation treatment were administered the Barber Suggestibility Scale (BSS) and a selective amnesia suggestion asking them to forget the number four. Next, they were interviewed to determine whether they had engaged in goal-directed fantasy while carrying out the suggestion for selective amnesia. Hypnotic and task-motivated Ss who met an overt criterion of selective amnesia reported goal-directed fantasy more often (p < .001) than those who failed to meet this criterion. In addition, hypnotic and task-motivated Ss did not differ in showing goal-directed fantasy, or in responding to the overt criterion or to self-ratings of selective amnesia. Self-ratings of selective amnesia correlated both with objective and subjective BSS scores.