Joanne has been hypnotized.The hypnotist places Joanne's hand in a bucket of ice water and tells her she will not feel any pain.She was also told that,if she did feel pain she could signal this by raising the other hand.When she was awakened,Joanne reported that she had not felt any pain,even though she had raised her other hand a number of times while her hand was in the ice water.How would the divided consciousness theory explain this?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The divided consciousness theory suggests that consciousness can be divided into different parts, and in this case, Joanne's consciousness is divided into the part that is following the hypnotist's suggestions and the hidden observer part that is still able to feel the pain. Joanne reported not feeling any pain because the part that was following the hypnotist's suggestions was dominant and prevented her from acknowledging the pain she was feeling. However, the fact that her other hand raised several times indicates that the hidden observer part was still aware of the pain. Therefore, option B is the correct choice.

Joanne Has Been Hypnotized