GOAL-DIRECTED FANTASY, THE EXPERIENCE OF NONVOLITION, AND COMPLIANCE
In a study of suggested arm levitation, Spanos and Barber (1972) concluded that subjects tended to experience suggestions as more non-volitional when instructed to engage in goal-directed fantasy. An attempt was made to test the viability of an interpretation of their findings in terms
of compliance. A group of 48 subjects was instructed to simulate a response to an arm levitation suggestion. The suggestion was worded in one of four different ways, varying from a direct command to an instruction to engage in goal-directed fantasy. The simulated responses were similar to
those found by Spanos and Barber; the arm levitation suggestion was reported as more involuntary when the subjects were asked to engage in a goal-directed fantasy. After the simulation part of the experiment, subjects were asked to report what they actually experienced. The trend for more
non volition with goal-directed fantasy was significantly diminished in these non-simulated reports.
It was concluded that the results of Spanos and Barber are readily explicable in terms of compliance, and thus the immediate clinical applicability of the concept of goal-directed fantasy may be limited.
It was concluded that the results of Spanos and Barber are readily explicable in terms of compliance, and thus the immediate clinical applicability of the concept of goal-directed fantasy may be limited.
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 January 1977
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