Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation.
Although forgetting is often regarded as a deficit that we need to control to optimize cognitive functioning, it can have beneficial effects in a number of contexts. We examined whether disrupting memory for previous numerical responses would attenuate repetition avoidance (the tendency to avoid rep...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science
2011
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| _version_ | 1797089706262921216 |
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| author | Terhune, D Brugger, P |
| author_facet | Terhune, D Brugger, P |
| author_sort | Terhune, D |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Although forgetting is often regarded as a deficit that we need to control to optimize cognitive functioning, it can have beneficial effects in a number of contexts. We examined whether disrupting memory for previous numerical responses would attenuate repetition avoidance (the tendency to avoid repeating the same number) during random number generation and thereby improve the randomness of responses. Low suggestible and low dissociative and high dissociative highly suggestible individuals completed a random number generation task in a control condition, following a posthypnotic amnesia suggestion to forget previous numerical responses, and in a second control condition following the cancellation of the suggestion. High dissociative highly suggestible participants displayed a selective increase in repetitions during posthypnotic amnesia, with equivalent repetition frequency to a random system, whereas the other two groups exhibited repetition avoidance across conditions. Our results demonstrate that temporarily disrupting memory for previous numerical responses improves random number generation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:07:55Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:b33107a8-e46f-4e63-bafd-c1307bf4619a |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T03:07:55Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:b33107a8-e46f-4e63-bafd-c1307bf4619a2022-03-27T04:17:13ZDoing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:b33107a8-e46f-4e63-bafd-c1307bf4619aEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordPublic Library of Science2011Terhune, DBrugger, PAlthough forgetting is often regarded as a deficit that we need to control to optimize cognitive functioning, it can have beneficial effects in a number of contexts. We examined whether disrupting memory for previous numerical responses would attenuate repetition avoidance (the tendency to avoid repeating the same number) during random number generation and thereby improve the randomness of responses. Low suggestible and low dissociative and high dissociative highly suggestible individuals completed a random number generation task in a control condition, following a posthypnotic amnesia suggestion to forget previous numerical responses, and in a second control condition following the cancellation of the suggestion. High dissociative highly suggestible participants displayed a selective increase in repetitions during posthypnotic amnesia, with equivalent repetition frequency to a random system, whereas the other two groups exhibited repetition avoidance across conditions. Our results demonstrate that temporarily disrupting memory for previous numerical responses improves random number generation. |
| spellingShingle | Terhune, D Brugger, P Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation. |
| title | Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation. |
| title_full | Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation. |
| title_fullStr | Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation. |
| title_short | Doing better by getting worse: posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation. |
| title_sort | doing better by getting worse posthypnotic amnesia improves random number generation |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT terhuned doingbetterbygettingworseposthypnoticamnesiaimprovesrandomnumbergeneration AT bruggerp doingbetterbygettingworseposthypnoticamnesiaimprovesrandomnumbergeneration |