Susceptibility is a term in genetics that refer to genes that only slightly increase the risk of developing the disorder, but in contrast to the deterministic genes, these are more common in the population.
In the psychology context, susceptibility refers to an individual's vulnerability or tendency to be influenced by external factors such as suggestions, persuasion, or social pressure. It can also refer to a person's vulnerability to develop a psychological or physical disorder.
Here are some examples of susceptibility in psychology:
- Social influence: People who are highly susceptible to social influence may conform to group norms or comply with requests from authority figures even if they go against their own beliefs or values.
- Suggestibility: Susceptibility to suggestion can influence a person's recall of past events or eyewitness testimony, especially in legal settings.
- Hypnosis: Susceptibility to hypnosis can vary among individuals and can influence the effectiveness of hypnotherapy as a treatment for various psychological and physical conditions.
- Placebo effect: Susceptibility to the placebo effect can lead to the improvement of symptoms or relief of pain even when a treatment has no active ingredient.
- Risk factors: In the context of health, susceptibility can refer to a person's increased risk of developing a disease or disorder due to genetic, environmental, or lifestyle factors.
Understanding susceptibility can help psychologists develop effective interventions and treatments that target specific factors that may influence an individual's susceptibility to certain conditions or behaviors.