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.The small sample size, the brief period of isolation, and thelimited measure employed in this study suggests caution in interpreting this result.-65-S.Cohen, Silverman, Bressler, and Shmavonian (18) reported an exploratoryinvestigation on four subjects exposed singly to four hours of confinement anddeprivation while seated in an anechoic chamber, with instructions to keep awake andto estimate the passage of successive thirty-minute intervals.All four subjects showedan increase in performance on digit span, and decrease in arithmetic reasoning,abstraction, and general reasoning.All subjects reported difficulty in problem solvingand logical thinking.The small sample size and absence of a control group limit therelevance of these findings.The few reports available, their currently sketchy detail, and their limited controlsmake it difficult to arrive at a firm generalization concerning the effects of deprivationand isolation on cognitive skills.Some tentative agreements among the studies may be worth highlighting.It appears that the skill most severely impaired under theseconditions is that of general reasoning and problem solving, whether the situationinvolves verbal-conceptual materials or numbers.On the other hand, in several studiesperformance on simple recall tasks or rote learning seems either to improve or elsedoes not decline.Tasks that involve analysis and synthesis of visual materials such asblock design show equivocal results; in some studies there is deterioration, in others nochange is seen.Some of these equivocal results may be a function of differences inprocedure or duration of deprivation and confinement.The sequence in whichpostisolation tests are administered may be a relevant variable here since the durationof the effects, if any, is as yet unknown.The conceptual analysis of cognitive skills into categories such as reasoning,memory, arithmetic, and manipulation would serve a very useful purpose in thesestudies.Goldberger and Holt (32) offer a tentative generalization which begins tospecify some of the different factors involved in various tasks.They point out that,"Probably any task that can be done satisfactorily in a single brief effort by the use ofhighly overlearned sets of operations (as in simple arithmetic problems), and anylearning or memory performance requiring passive receptivity (cf., digit span, rotelearning) rather than reflection and manipulation of ideas (cf., logical reasoning) wouldbe least interfered with by moderate amounts of isolation." (32, page 109.) Thisformulation appears to account for some of the reported results, but the criteriaemployed to classify cognitive tasks need further specification and expansion.Forexample, are there differences in the types of memory or recall involved in digit spanas opposed to remote memory? Although the available results are certainlyinconclusive, the Gold--66-berger and Holt generalization suggests that remote recall would be relativelyunimpaired by isolation.This would have implications for one interested in theinterrogation problem where, leaving motivational issues aside, it would seem that theinformation a person might recall when cooperating would be reliable.Furthermore thedata suggest a decreased interest in and ability to reason through the complexities ofthe interrogator-prisoner relationship and thus a decreased ability to cope rationallyand effectively with the situation at hand.Despite the more tenuous nature of the findings in the area of cognitive skills, to theextent to which a generalization is possible, it seems that in addition to the decline ininternal norms or standards for perceiving reality, under conditions of deprivation andisolation there is a lessened ability to reason closely and solve complex problems.Should such a generalization be supported by subsequent findings, a relevant questionremains about the extent of such impairment in quantitative terms.Suggestibility An issue related to that of cognitive functioning in isolation and deprivation is thatof suggestibility.The reported success of isolated confinement in modifying beliefsand convictions initially directed interest to the question of suggestibility.Despite thisconcern, systematic data on this problem remain surprisingly sparse.Heron (39) cited the work of Bexton (7) pertinent to this issue.After twenty hoursof perceptual deprivation, twenty-four subjects were exposed to a recorded propagandamessage consisting of a ninetyminute talk read in a boring monotone and arguing forbelief in various psychical phenomena.To measure attitude change, a series of attitudescales of the Bogardus type were administered before and after confinement.A controlgroup of twenty-seven subjects received both scales before and after a similar interval.Both groups, experimental and control, showed a significant change in attitude afterlistening to the records.The change, however, was significantly greater for theexperimental subjects.Similarly, measures of interest in the topic and assessments ofits importance showed a greater increase for the subjects exposed to perceptualdeprivation.Although follow-up data were not systematically obtained, incidentalevidence indicated that for some subjects at least, these effects persisted for as long asthree to four days.Vernon and Hoffman (76) tested subjects for degree of body swaysuggestibility following varying periods of-67-sensory deprivation.These authors remark cryptically that attempts to measure thisphenomenon "proved unsuccessful."The question of suggestibility has also been approached from a different vantagepoint.Rather than estimate the effects of isolation upon suggestibility, others havesought to establish a relationship between suggestibility as a personality attribute andresponse to deprivation.Petrie 1 measured body sway suggestibility in a group of ninesubjects who had been exposed to the conditions of confinement and perceptualdeprivation described by Wexler et al.(80).Her observations revealed a trend toward anegative relationship between amount of body sway and length of time voluntarilyspent in deprivation.Camberari (16) studied the response to sensory deprivation of twenty male unpaidvolunteer psychology graduate students evenly divided into suggestible andnonsuggestible groups [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.The small sample size, the brief period of isolation, and thelimited measure employed in this study suggests caution in interpreting this result.-65-S.Cohen, Silverman, Bressler, and Shmavonian (18) reported an exploratoryinvestigation on four subjects exposed singly to four hours of confinement anddeprivation while seated in an anechoic chamber, with instructions to keep awake andto estimate the passage of successive thirty-minute intervals.All four subjects showedan increase in performance on digit span, and decrease in arithmetic reasoning,abstraction, and general reasoning.All subjects reported difficulty in problem solvingand logical thinking.The small sample size and absence of a control group limit therelevance of these findings.The few reports available, their currently sketchy detail, and their limited controlsmake it difficult to arrive at a firm generalization concerning the effects of deprivationand isolation on cognitive skills.Some tentative agreements among the studies may be worth highlighting.It appears that the skill most severely impaired under theseconditions is that of general reasoning and problem solving, whether the situationinvolves verbal-conceptual materials or numbers.On the other hand, in several studiesperformance on simple recall tasks or rote learning seems either to improve or elsedoes not decline.Tasks that involve analysis and synthesis of visual materials such asblock design show equivocal results; in some studies there is deterioration, in others nochange is seen.Some of these equivocal results may be a function of differences inprocedure or duration of deprivation and confinement.The sequence in whichpostisolation tests are administered may be a relevant variable here since the durationof the effects, if any, is as yet unknown.The conceptual analysis of cognitive skills into categories such as reasoning,memory, arithmetic, and manipulation would serve a very useful purpose in thesestudies.Goldberger and Holt (32) offer a tentative generalization which begins tospecify some of the different factors involved in various tasks.They point out that,"Probably any task that can be done satisfactorily in a single brief effort by the use ofhighly overlearned sets of operations (as in simple arithmetic problems), and anylearning or memory performance requiring passive receptivity (cf., digit span, rotelearning) rather than reflection and manipulation of ideas (cf., logical reasoning) wouldbe least interfered with by moderate amounts of isolation." (32, page 109.) Thisformulation appears to account for some of the reported results, but the criteriaemployed to classify cognitive tasks need further specification and expansion.Forexample, are there differences in the types of memory or recall involved in digit spanas opposed to remote memory? Although the available results are certainlyinconclusive, the Gold--66-berger and Holt generalization suggests that remote recall would be relativelyunimpaired by isolation.This would have implications for one interested in theinterrogation problem where, leaving motivational issues aside, it would seem that theinformation a person might recall when cooperating would be reliable.Furthermore thedata suggest a decreased interest in and ability to reason through the complexities ofthe interrogator-prisoner relationship and thus a decreased ability to cope rationallyand effectively with the situation at hand.Despite the more tenuous nature of the findings in the area of cognitive skills, to theextent to which a generalization is possible, it seems that in addition to the decline ininternal norms or standards for perceiving reality, under conditions of deprivation andisolation there is a lessened ability to reason closely and solve complex problems.Should such a generalization be supported by subsequent findings, a relevant questionremains about the extent of such impairment in quantitative terms.Suggestibility An issue related to that of cognitive functioning in isolation and deprivation is thatof suggestibility.The reported success of isolated confinement in modifying beliefsand convictions initially directed interest to the question of suggestibility.Despite thisconcern, systematic data on this problem remain surprisingly sparse.Heron (39) cited the work of Bexton (7) pertinent to this issue.After twenty hoursof perceptual deprivation, twenty-four subjects were exposed to a recorded propagandamessage consisting of a ninetyminute talk read in a boring monotone and arguing forbelief in various psychical phenomena.To measure attitude change, a series of attitudescales of the Bogardus type were administered before and after confinement.A controlgroup of twenty-seven subjects received both scales before and after a similar interval.Both groups, experimental and control, showed a significant change in attitude afterlistening to the records.The change, however, was significantly greater for theexperimental subjects.Similarly, measures of interest in the topic and assessments ofits importance showed a greater increase for the subjects exposed to perceptualdeprivation.Although follow-up data were not systematically obtained, incidentalevidence indicated that for some subjects at least, these effects persisted for as long asthree to four days.Vernon and Hoffman (76) tested subjects for degree of body swaysuggestibility following varying periods of-67-sensory deprivation.These authors remark cryptically that attempts to measure thisphenomenon "proved unsuccessful."The question of suggestibility has also been approached from a different vantagepoint.Rather than estimate the effects of isolation upon suggestibility, others havesought to establish a relationship between suggestibility as a personality attribute andresponse to deprivation.Petrie 1 measured body sway suggestibility in a group of ninesubjects who had been exposed to the conditions of confinement and perceptualdeprivation described by Wexler et al.(80).Her observations revealed a trend toward anegative relationship between amount of body sway and length of time voluntarilyspent in deprivation.Camberari (16) studied the response to sensory deprivation of twenty male unpaidvolunteer psychology graduate students evenly divided into suggestible andnonsuggestible groups [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]