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Report on a Pilot Study

G. DAVID COOPER, Ph.D.; HENRY B. ADAMS, Ph.D.; ROBERT G. GIBBY, Ph.D.

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1962;7(3):213-217.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Introduction

Most research in sensory deprivation has been done with normal subjects. In general, these studies have emphasized stressful and disruptive effects, such as "pseudo-somatic delusions; illusions or hallucinations, . . . impaired ability to concentrate, distortions in time judgment and degrees of anxiety."¹² Reports of "brainwashing" of prisoners of war have also emphasized the disruptive effects of prolonged social isolation and perceptual deprivation on psychological functioning.¹¹

In contrast, investigators utilizing psychiatric patients as subjects have observed more positive and beneficial effects. Azima and Cramer-Azima³ exposed 14 psychiatric patients to periods of partial sensory deprivation for an average period of 4 days. In these subjects initial signs of disorganization were followed by positive shifts in mood, release of constructive aggression, and increased attempts at socialization. Similar results have been reported by Harris,¹⁰ who placed 12 hallucinating schizophrenic patients in conditions similar to those . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
PETERSBURG, VA.; RICHMOND, VA.

Dr. Cooper, Chief Psychologist, Petersburg Training School; Dr. Adams, Research Clinical Psychologist; Dr. Gibby, Chief Clinical Psychologist, Veterans Administration Hospital, Richmond.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Dec. 17, 1961.

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