Biomedical subjects

S J Lynn

Publications and source records attributed to S J Lynn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Information processing of an acquaintance rape scenario among high- and low-dissociating college women.

To assess the impact of dissociation on information processing, 66 college women with high and low levels of trait dissociation were studied with regard to how they unitized videotape segments of an acquaintance rape scenario (actual assault not shown) and a nonthreatening control scenario. Unitization is a paradigm that measures how actively people process stimuli by recording how many times they press a button to indicate that they have seen a significant or meaningful event. Trait dissociation was negatively correlated with participants' unitization of the acquaintance rape videotape, unitization was positively correlated with danger cue identification, and state dissociation was negatively correlated with dangerousness ratings.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The evaluation of a sexual assault risk reduction program: a multisite investigation.

This article summarizes the results of the Ohio University Sexual Assault Risk Reduction Project, which is a program designed to reduce college women's risk for sexual assault. The program was evaluated at 2 separate universities with 762 women. Participants were randomly assigned either to the program or to the no-treatment comparison group, and they completed measures that assessed sexual victimization, dating behaviors, sexual communication, and rape empathy at the pretest and at the 2-month and 6-month follow-ups. At the 2-month follow-up, there were no differences between the groups on any of the outcome measures. However, those women who were moderately victimized during the 2-month follow-up were significantly less likely to be revictimized during the 6-month follow-up period if they participated in the program.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Are cultic environments psychologically harmful?

This article is the first critical review of research that addresses the question of whether cult membership is psychologically harmful. The available evidence warrants three conclusions: (a) persons entering cults do not necessarily exhibit psychopathology; (b) current cult members appear psychologically well-adjusted generally, and demonstrate few conspicuous symptoms of psychopathology. However, pathology may be masked by conformity pressures and demand characteristics associated with the cultic environment; (c) a small but growing body of research indicates that at least a substantial minority of former cult members experience significant adjustment difficulties. There also are indications that these difficulties cannot be ascribed to demand characteristics. Although the review highlights definitional and methodological issues and problems that temper conclusions that can be drawn from the literature, no evidence indicates that cults improve adjustment after members leave the cultic environment.

Humans↗

PubMed2000

Hypnosis and suggestion-based approaches to smoking cessation: an examination of the evidence.

This article reviews 59 studies of hypnosis and smoking cessation as to whether the research empirically supports hypnosis as a treatment. Whereas hypnotic procedures generally yield higher rates of abstinence relative to wait-list and no-treatment conditions, hypnotic interventions are generally comparable to a variety of nonhypnotic treatments. The evidence for whether hypnosis yields outcomes superior to placebos is mixed. In short, hypnosis cannot be considered a specific and efficacious treatment for smoking cessation. Furthermore, in many cases, it is impossible to rule out cognitive/behavioral and educational interventions as the source of positive treatment gains associated with hypnotic treatments. Hypnosis cannot, as yet, be regarded as a well-established treatment for smoking cessation. Nevertheless, it seems justified to classify hypnosis as a "possibly efficacious" treatment for smoking cessation.

Humans↗

PubMed2000

Hypnosis as an empirically supported clinical intervention: the state of the evidence and a look to the future.

Drawing on the literature reviews of this special issue of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (2000), this article summarizes the evidence for the effectiveness of hypnosis as an empirically supported clinical intervention. As a whole, the clinical research to date generally substantiates the claim that hypnotic procedures can ameliorate some psychological and medical conditions, as judged against the Chambless and Hollon methodological guidelines. In many cases, these clinical procedures can also be quite cost-effective. It is probable that with some key empirical refinement a number of other hypnosis treatment protocols will have sufficient empirical documentation to be considered "well-established." However, it is noted that the Chambless and Hollon guidelines are not particularly well-suited for assessing hypnosis' impact when used adjunctly with other interventions. The article concludes with recommendations regarding the efficacy questions that need to be more fully addressed empirically and offers methodological guidelines for researchers and practitioners.

Anxiety↗

PubMed2000

Behavioural differences between psychiatric patients with confirmed versus non-confirmed traumatic brain injuries.

The relationship between history of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and BDI-2 depression scores at admission and discharge from the hospital was assessed in acutely hospitalized psychiatric patients. The participants were assigned to three groups: (1) no reported history of TBI (n = 18), (2) reported but not confirmed TBI history (n = 13), and (3) reported and confirmed TBI history (n = 15). It was found that confirmed history of TBI was associated with elevated BDI-2 depression scores. In contrast, the non-confirmed TBI group was characterized by over-reporting of psychological distress, as measured by MMPI-2 validity indices, 100% prevalence of alcohol use history, and depression scores that were intermediate between the control and confirmed TBI groups.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1999

Dissociation, posttraumatic symptomatology, and sexual revictimization: a prospective examination of mediator and moderator effects.

Using prospective data gathered from a sample of 323 college women over a 10-week academic quarter, the present study examined whether dissociation and posttraumatic symptomatology mediate or moderate sexual revictimization. Results indicated that posttraumatic symptomatology, but not dissociation, moderated the link between previous and subsequent sexual victimization. Neither posttraumatic symptomatology nor dissociation mediated revictimization.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Automaticity in clinical psychology.

The authors provide an overview of the literature on the ability of response expectancies to elicit automatic responses in the form of self-fulfilling prophecies and link it to the broader psychological investigation of automatic processes. The authors review 3 areas of research in which response expectancies have been shown to affect experience, behavior, and physiology: placebo effects, the effects of false biofeedback on sexual arousal, and the alteration of perceptual and cognitive functions by hypnotic and nonhypnotic suggestion. Also reviewed are data suggesting that all behavior, including novel and intentional behavior, is initiated automatically. Following this review, the authors summarize some of the ways in which knowledge of response expectancy effects and other automatic processes that influence experience and behavior can enhance clinical practice.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗

PubMed1999

Dissociative identity disorder and the sociocognitive model: recalling the lessons of the past.

In a recent article in this journal, D. H. Gleaves (1996) criticized the sociocognitive model (SCM; N. P. Spanos, 1994) of dissociative identity disorder (DID) and argued in favor of a posttraumatic model (PTM) in which DID is conceptualized as a consequence of childhood abuse and other traumatic events. The present authors demonstrate that (a) many of Gleaves's arguments were predicated on misunderstandings of the SCM, (b) scrutiny of the evidence regarding the psychopathology and assessment of DID raises questions concerning the PTM's conceptual and empirical underpinnings, (c) the treatment literature suggests that iatrogenic factors play an important role in the etiology of DID, and (d) the evidence linking child abuse to DID is more problematic than implied by Gleaves. The present authors conclude that Gleaves's analysis underemphasized the cultural manifestations of multiple role enactments and that the history of DID imparts a valuable lesson to contemporary psychotherapists.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Normative, group, and hypnotic influences on early autobiographical memory reports.

This study examines the effects of expectancies, group versus individual interview procedures, and recall trial on reports of early autobiographical memories. No effect for interview procedure or expectancy information was obtained. However, participants reported earlier memories during hypnosis than they did both prior to hypnosis and prior to memory recovery instructions. A third of the 85 participants reported memories below the cutoff of infantile amnesia (i.e., age 2) after they received suggestions that they could recall earlier memories. Two thirds of participants reported such memories during hypnosis. Even after being debriefed and contacted by telephone outside the experimental context, more than a third (37%) of the participants continued to report memories prior to age 2.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

The plasticity of early memory reports: social pressure, hypnotizability, compliance, and interrogative suggestibility.

Early autobiographical memory reports by adults were very sensitive to social influence in a leading interview. The mean age of initial earliest memory report was 3.7 years. When participants were instructed to close their eyes, visualize, and focus on their 2nd birthday, 59% reported a birthday memory. After repeated probes for earlier memories, 78% of subjects reported memories at or prior to 24 months of age, and 33% reported memories within the first 12 months of age. The mean age of the final earliest memory reported was 1.6 years. Participants rated their memory reports as accurate and did not recant them when given an opportunity. The age of earliest memory reports in the suggestive interview correlated negatively with measures of compliance, hypnotizability, and interrogative suggestibility.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1998

The development of a measure of correlates of child sexual abuse: the Traumatic Sexualization Survey.

The present research developed an instrument which assesses cognitive and behavioral factors purportedly associated with child sexual abuse histories. Finkelhor and Browne's construct of traumatic sexualization served as a guide for item selection. The study resulted in a 38-item reliable measure consisting of four subscales: Avoidance and Fear of Sexual and Physical Intimacy, Thoughts About Sex, Role of Sex in Relationships, and Attraction/Interest and Sexuality. Construct validity was established using a variety of self-report instruments associated with the dimensions of traumatic sexualization. Sexually abused women scored higher than nonabused women on three TSS factors. Physically abused women differed from nonabused women on only one factor. Sexually abused women did not score significantly higher than physically abused women on any factors.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Dissociation theories of hypnosis.

Hypnotic responses have been attributed to 2 mechanisms that are characterized as dissociative. In E. R. Hilgard's (1986) neodissociation theory, responses are hypothesized to be due to a division of consciousness into 2 or more simultaneous streams, separated by an amnesic barrier that prevents access to suggestion-related executive functions, monitoring functions, or both. In K. S. Bowers's (1992) dissociated control theory, hypnotic inductions are hypothesized to weaken frontal control of behavioral schemas, thereby allowing direct activation of behavior by the hypnotist's suggestions. The authors review the empirical base, conceptual issues, and strengths and weaknesses of both theories.

Amnesia↗

PubMed1998

Dissociating the wheat from the chaff in theories of hypnosis: Reply to Kihlstrom (1998) and Woody and Sadler (1998)

Although there are noteworthy commonalities among disparate theories of hypnosis, they are neither as readily integrated nor as complementary as J.F. Kihlstrom (1998) and E. Woody and P. Sadler (1998) implied. All current theories of hypnosis, including our social cognitive model, are provisional and incomplete, and each has something of value to offer. However, the multiple streams of consciousness hypothesis and the hypnotic state hypothesis should be abandoned because they are neither well supported by data nor consistent with current research and theory in social and cognitive psychology. In their place, the authors propose theoretical formulations based on such concepts as response sets, hierarchical control systems, associative memory networks, automatic activation of behavior, motivation, intention, and response expectancy.

Dissociative Disorders↗

PubMed1998

Primary process, hypnotic dreams, and the hidden observer: hypnosis versus alert imagining.

Previous research indicated that high-hypnotizable participants reported more primary-process mentation in hypnotic dreams than low-hypnotizable participants instructed to simulate hypnosis. Differences in primary process were not evidenced in response to instructions for a "hidden part" of the participant to report on the hypnotic dream. This research replicated and extended these findings by showing that high-hypnotizable participants (n = 20) passing the dream suggestion reported more primary process in their dreams than high-hypnotizable participants instructed to remain alert and think and imagine along with suggestions (n = 20). Differences in primary process were not evidenced in response to hidden-observer suggestions, and the frequency of dream (87% hypnosis vs. 96% imagining) and hidden-observer responses (100% in both groups) was equivalent across hypnotic and nonhypnotic groups. The results provided qualified support for a psychoanalytic model of hypnosis: Differences in primary process were apparent in response to the dream but not the hidden-observer suggestion.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Hypnotic involuntariness and the automaticity of everyday life.

We present a new theory of hypnotic involuntariness based on an integration and extension of recent social and cognitive theories on the automaticity of mundane, intentional behavior. According to this model, experiences of volition and involuntariness-in and out of hypnosis-are constructions or interpretations made possible by the high degree of automaticity that is a characteristic of all complex behavior, including novel behavior. Suggested nonvolitional behaviors are intentional acts that are triggered automatically by situational cues (suggestions) and cue-related sensations. The triggering of both the behaviors and the sensations are enabled by the formation of a generalized response expectancy, which is a cognitive set to respond appropriately to suggestions. Response expectancies are functionally equivalent to implementation intentions taking the form, "emit response x when situation y is encountered." The classification of a response set as either an expectancy or an intention and the experience of the response as volitional or nonvolitional depend on interpretations derived from instructional cues and prior beliefs.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1997

Automaticity and hypnosis: a sociocognitive account.

This article provides an overview of a new theory of suggested involuntariness in hypnosis, developed in conjunction with Irving Kirsch. The theory is based on the following ideas. First, high hypnotizable participants enter hypnosis with a conscious intention to feel and behave in line with suggested experiences and movements. Second, people who are easily hypnotized hold firm expectations that they will succeed in following the suggestions of the hypnotist. Third, the intention and expectation in turn function as response sets in the sense that they trigger the hypnotic response automatically. Fourth, given the intention to feel and behave in line with the hypnotist's suggestions, hypnotized individuals show no hesitation to experience the suggested movements as involuntary because (a) these movements are actually triggered automatically, and (b) the intention to cooperate with the hypnotist as well as the expectation to be able to do so create a heightened readiness to experience these actions as involuntary.

Automatism↗

PubMed1996

Unacknowledged versus acknowledged rape victims: situational factors and posttraumatic stress.

Investigators of sexual assault have found that a substantial number of women who have been raped do not conceptualize their experiences as such. The present investigation examined differences between 40 unacknowledged rape victims and 20 women who acknowledged their experience as rape in a sample of college women, as well as a control group of 23 nonvictims. Groups were compared in terms of situational factors, postassault symptomatology, defense mechanisms, dissociative disorders, and sexual revictimization. In comparison to unacknowledged victims, acknowledged victims reported more forceful assaults and indicated more resistance and clearer refusal. Acknowledged victims exhibited more posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms than unacknowledged victims, who exhibited more symptoms than nonvictims, as measured by clinical interview. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗