THE NATURE OF AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGY--FROM CROSS-CULTURAL ANALYSIS OF THEORISING ABOUT THE ROLE OF CONTEXT IN HYPNOSIS.

Psychology in Australia can be studied in many ways, but for the most part it can be described in terms of the adoption of orientations to the discipline illustrated by ‘functional’, ‘objective’ and ‘quantitative’ prescriptions of science. It is important to recognize, however, that these dimensions fit within the broad cultural traditions of thinking that characterize Australia as a settlement society. In this paper, research in Australia is used to illustrate a number of cultural factors at work, detailed consideration being given to the study of hypnosis and the role of context. Cross-cultural analysis of theorizing about the role of context in hypnosis indicates clear differences in conceptualization of the issues, but also an encouraging degree of convergence on common concerns. The point of view is illustrated that the diversity of the discipline and its tools of inquiry, evidenced across different cultural contexts, is one of Psychology's major strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]