How many times in our lives have we realized that we have been influenced by someone or something? Of a strong personality that convinced us of his firm affirmation, or of a fact that we have interpreted in a certain way without bothering to verify its accuracy.
Every day we are attracted by what surrounds us: a book, a picture, a snack near the supermarket checkouts. We are constantly subject to suggestions, in many cases directed at interests not always declared, as in advertising. In reality, suggestion is a totally natural human mechanism. In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to discover what is suggestion, the different types and some examples.
The word suggestion is derived from the Latin word "suggestus", which is based on the word "suggestive", which means to provide. Its original use was in the sense of hint at a thought, idea, or impression, under the attentive care of care, in the internal consciousness of the individual. The word, as it is generally used, indicates the use of mentioning something by indirectly drawing attention to the rest.
Beyond this use, a secondary and more subtle use of the word has been born, that is, in the sense of a furtive hint of an idea, of such so that the listener does not even understand that he or she receives a signal, but is inclined to think that the idea was born in his or her mind, elaborated by him or her herself.
What is suggesting to a person? Among psychologists the word began to take on a new meaning: introduce something indirectly into the mind of another, indirectly and argumentatively. Later, in the field of psychology, the term began to be used in an even broader sense, that is, that of the impression on the mind made by other objects, such as gestures, signs, words, speeches, physical sensations, environment, etc.
Mental suggestion plays a very important role in the investigation of the psyche and in all types of therapy. The first scholar to show that the results of psychological research are influenced unconsciously by researchers it was Martin Orne in the 60s of the twentieth century. Since then, other scholars have confirmed the suggestive effect on the results of research in human psychology: one of the most recent and interesting studies is that of "good subject effect"made in 2008.
As for psychotherapy, it will be enough to remember a single, very significant fact: even Sigmund Freud he abandoned hypnosis to avoid the suggestion of the patient, he maintained several times that psychoanalysis distinguished himself by the detached and uninfluential attitude of the therapist, He was forced to admit to the at least two occasions that psychoanalysis also used, in addition to the techniques already known, the force of suggestion.
Thus, the suggestion effect exists and has a highly relevant role in psychology and in all types of therapy, although much remains to be understood and measured. Learn to suggest to the other it's a way of lead him to think and perceive as we would like.
In the marketingIn fact, everything is evaluated in order to suggest to the other a certain vision of things, to promote a need or a desire. The art of advertising it consists of inducing this suggestion below the threshold of attention of the person. If I can convince people to buy a car model so that they feel its safety and reliability, not to mention cars, I am simply trying to suggest people.
In this article, we are going to list the main types of mental suggestion recognized by psychologists:
- Direct suggestion: it is due to the authority of a person on whom it is suggested. In this case, the authority by an order and the other person, without wondering why, executes it.
- Indirect suggestion: if the direct suggestion has an immediate effect, the indirect one does not, but it is more subtle. Made by behaviors of the one who suggests to induce the person being suggested to do what he wants. This makes the other person go in one direction instead of the other, but never explicitly says so.
- Hypnotic suggestion: it is the state of mental suggestion that is reached with a hypnotic session, whose methods can vary. The worst part is the post-hypnotic suggestion, that is, the things that continue to be done after the hypnosis session, which are often decisive in a person's life.
- Autosuggestion: suggestions that a person imposes himself, executing them then accordingly. In practice it is the self-conviction that a thing is true and this is repeated mentally until it begins to be considered true. There is an autosuggestion voluntary (repeating "this is true" consciously to convince yourself of it) and a involuntary, in which we do not realize that we come to think what we want, perhaps because you have read it somewhere or someone else has said it.
When an idea is put into a person's mind through suggestion, it is always done through these three techniques of mental suggestion:
- Suggestion in printing the fact on the mind with firm authoritative statements or repetitions in which the suggestion acts as a seal on molten wax.
- Suggestion inducing the idea in the mind with indirect induction, for random signs or mentions, in which the mind is surprised and instinctive resistance escapes.
- Suggestion, generally along the lines of association, where the external appearances, objects or environment they act both to impress and to induce the idea into the mind.
Of course, there are cases where several of these three methods are associated or combined, but one Careful analysis will show that one or more of the three is always in evidence in all cases of suggestion.
Suggestion channels
The three types of suggestion mentioned above can be considered differently depending on the channels through which they reach the individual. We can divide these channels of mental suggestion into five classes, that is:
- Suggestion by Authority.
- Suggestion by Association.
- Suggestion by Habit.
- Suggestion by Repetition.
- Suggestion by Imitation.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Suggestion: what it is, types and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Social psychology.
