Kohnstamm test
a demonstration frequently used to prepare an individual for hypnosis. The participant is asked to press an arm backward against a wall for a minute or two and then to step away, allowing the arm to relax. What follows is a natural reflexive tendency for the arm to rise, known as Kohnstamm’s phenomenon. Believing that the reflex has occurred because of the hypnotist’s instructions for the task, the participant becomes more inclined to be susceptible to further suggestions during subsequent hypnosis. Also called Kohnstamm maneuver. [Oskar Kohnstamm (1871–1917), German physician]