AN ATTEMPT AT EXPERIMENTAL MODIFICATION OF HYPNOTIZABILITY THROUGH REPEATED INDIVIDUALIZED HYPNOTIC EXPERIENCE

In an initial attempt to investigate whether the level of hypnotic susceptibility can be experimentally modified, ten subjects of moderate susceptibility were given individualized hypnotic experience in 4–10 sessions and tested with objective hypnosis scales before and after the experience. Some quantitative and qualitative results are presented. They indicate that in most individuals routinely measured hypnotizability can be changed for the better within a certain range, but that dramatic changes as a rule will not take place.     

Classical physical abstraction

An informal theory is set forth of relations between abstract entities, includingcolors, physical quantities, times, andplaces in space, and the concrete things thathave them, or areat orin them, based on the assumption that there are close analogies between these relations and relations between abstractsets and the concrete things that aremembers of them. It is suggested that even standard scientific usage of these abstractions presupposes principles that are analogous to postulates of abstraction, identity, and other fundamental principles of set theory. Also discussed is the significance of important disanalogies between sets and physical abstractions, including especiallymodal andtemporal aspects of physical abstractions, which is related to the problem of the characterizingconstancy, of colors, physical attributes, and locations in space.     

Angular induction is modulated by the orientation of the test segment but not its length

Angular induction is the basic process by which the orientation of line segments can affect the perceived orientation of other segments as well as their alignment. In this laboratory, we have found that the effect on alignment follows approximately linear rules, with the inducing segment having its greatest influence when its orientation is near to that of the segment being judged. Other laboratories, however, have reported peak effects when the relative angle between the two is at 45°, and with the inducing segment being aligned with one of the cardinal axes of the observer. It has been said that the length of the test segment being judged is a critical factor, but the first experiment of the present study shows a similar linear decline of induction strength irrespective of test segment length. The second experiment indicates that the orientation of the test segment relative to the observer modulates the induction to determine the location of peak effects. A two-factor linear model predicts the observed pattern of results.     

Programmed instruction: What it is and how to do it

Five behaviorological features of programmed instruction are outlined: behavioral objectives, reinforcement, activity rate: high and relevant, successive approximation, and mastery progression. Each of these topics is explained, and examples are given to illustrate the differences between programmed instruction and the more common transmission model of teaching. A final section provides suggestions on specific techniques of successive approximation.