Silent Economics: The Cooperative Effects of Hypnotic Meditation 公开

Zeitlin, Hal Ross (2015)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/8c97kq83z?locale=zh
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Abstract

This research aims to understand how hypnotic meditation, which consists of a progressive relaxation hypnotic induction, followed by a silent meditation, affects a person's economic cooperative behavior. One hundred fifty-seven Emory students played the public goods game, which is designed to measure economic cooperation. Cooperation is necessary for local and global markets to function properly and to prosper. Participants were placed in two treatment groups or the control. The first treatment group, the "silent meditation group" consisted of a twenty-minute silent meditation. The second treatment group, the "hypnotic meditation group" consisted of a ten-minute hypnotic meditation followed by a ten-minute "silent meditation." Average contributions between and within the control and both treatments were found to be statistically not different. Although not statistically significant, we observed the silent meditation group sustain cooperative behavior into the second round, and the hypnotic meditation group continue cooperative behavior across all three rounds. These results suggest a 'proof of concept' that the cooperative benefits of silent meditation last longer after the practice of hypnotic meditation. However, to discover if the proof of concept is legitimate, we recommend that the experiment be repeated once more with a larger sample size. The results of this experiment also suggest that it would be valuable to examine the behavioral effects of a sustained practice of hypnotic meditation.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction 1

II. Cooperation 2

III. Meditation 3

IV. Hypotheses 12

V. Methodology 15

VI. Results 21

VII. Limitations 32

VIII. Discussion 34

IX. Conclusion 37

X. Charts and Tables 42

List of Tables

1. Types of Meditation and Essential Definitions 11

2. Experimental Design 19

3. Three Examples of Possible Outcomes 20

4. Qualitative Survey Questions 32

5. Descriptive Statistics of Population 42

6. Linear Regression Results of Contributions, Including Treatments as Independent Variables 48

7. Linear Regression Results of Contributions, Including Treatments and Control 49

8. Description of Regression Independent Variables 50

9. T Test Results for Token Contribution Between Control and T1 51

10. T Test Results for Token Contribution Between Control and T2 51

11. T Test Results for Token Contribution Between T1 and T2 51

12. T Test Results for Token Contribution within Control 51

13. T Test Results for Token Contribution within T1 51

14. T Test Results for Token Contribution within T2 52

15. Levene Test Results for Token Contribution between Control and T1 52

16. Levene Test Results for Token Contribution between Control and T2 52

17. Levene Test Results for Token Contribution between T1 and T2 52

18. Levene Test Results for Token Contribution within Control 52

19. Levene Test Results for Token Contribution within T1 53

20. Levene Test Results for Token Contribution within T2 53

21. Kruskal-Wallis Results for Changes in Relaxation and Focus 53

List of Charts

1. Average Contributions in Each Round 43

2. Free Riders Contributing Under 30% in Each Round 44

3. Control Contributions Separated into Four Quadrants 45

4. Silent Meditation (T1) Contributions Separated into Four Quadrants 46

5. Silent Meditation (T2) Contributions Separated into Four Quadrants 47

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