AN EVENT-RELATED POTENTIAL INVESTIGATION OF POSTHYPNOTIC RECOGNITION AMNESIA

Forty-two individuals selected for high hypnotizability or for low hyp notizability were taught lists of words during hypnosis and assessed f or recognition following hypnosis using event-related potential (ERP) procedures, both before and after the cue to reverse amnesia. A subgro up of low-hypnotizable participants were asked to simulate hypnotic be havior. All participants had larger late positive component (LPC) ampl itudes to learned than to unlearned words, regardless of whether amnes ia was reported The highly hypnotizable participants who reported reco gnition amnesia, however, had significant changes in attention-related (P1 and N1) and recognition-related (N400 and LPC) ERP component ampl itudes as a function of whether amnesia was reported. These data sugge st that posthypnotic amnesia may involve alterations in the processes of attention, selection, and accessibility.