Hilgard and his colleagues hypnotized participants to believe they would not experience pain when they placed one hand in ice water. Participants were asked to press a response button with the other hand if they felt any pain. What did Hilgard and his colleagues find?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hilgard and his colleagues found that participants under hypnosis reported feeling no pain, but when asked to press a button if they experienced any pain, they did so at the same rate as non-hypnotized participants. This suggests that hypnosis can reduce the subjective experience of pain without actually eliminating it.

Hilgard and His Colleagues Hypnotized Participants to Believe They Would