Hypnotic Responsiveness: Expectancy, Attitudes, Fantasy Proneness, Absorption, and Gender

Abstract

This study examines the effect of providing information linking participants' attitudes toward hypnosis with later hypnotic performance. Using total scale scores from McConkey's Opinions About Hypnosis scale, as well as subscale scores, the authors found a weak association between attitudes and performance among 460 student participants; however, the correlation was unaffected by prehypnotic information specifically connecting attitudes and performance. A brief, 3-item measure of hypnotic expectancies generated the strongest correlation with hypnotic responsiveness. The authors also found that the association between fantasy proneness and hypnotizability was unaffected by the order of scale administration. Finally, the study highlighted gender differences across measures of fantasy proneness, absorption, expectancy, and hypnotizability.

Abstract

In dieser Studie wurde die Wirkung der Bereitstellung von Informationen untersucht, die die Einstellungen der Teilnehmer ggü. der Hypnose mit der späteren hypnotischen Leistung verknüpfen. Mit den Gesamtskalenwerten der McConkey's Opiniions About Hypnosis-Skala sowie Subskalenwerten fanden die Autoren bei 460 studentischen Teilnehmern eine schwache Assoziation zwischen der Einstellung und der Leistung, allerdings blieb die Korrelation von der prähypnotischen Information speziell bei der Verknüpfung von Einstellungen und Leistung unbeeinflusst. Eine kurze 3-Item Messung der hypnotischen Erwartungen erzeugte die stärkste Korrelation mit der tatsächlichen hypnotischen Reaktionsfähigkeit. Die Autoren fanden auch heraus, dass die Assoziation zwischen der Neigung zur Phantasie und der Hypnotisierbarkeit von der Reihenfolge der Skalenadministration unberührt blieb. Darüber hinaus hebt die Studie geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede bei der Messung der Neigung zur Phantasie, der Absorption, der Erwartung und de Hypnotisierbarkeit hervor.

Jan Mikulica University of Konstanz Germany

Résumé

Cette étude porte sur les effets de l'information fournie au sujet des attitudes des participants envers l'hypnotisme sur la performance hypnotique elle-même. En se servant des scores totaux de l'échelle McConkey des opinions sur l'hypnotisme et des graduations de réglage de ces scores, les auteurs ont établi une faible association entre les attitudes et la performance chez les 460 étudiants participants; toutefois, cette corrélation n'a pas été influencée par l'information préalable à l'hypnose liant spécifiquement les attitudes à la performance. Une mesure brève à trois items de l'expectative hypnotique a généré la corrélation la plus forte avec la réceptivité aux suggestions hypnotiques. Les auteurs ont en outre découvert que l'ordre de l'administration de l'échelle n'avait aucune influence sur l'association entre la tendance aux fantasmes et l'hypnotisabilité. Enfin, cette étude a souligné les différences entre les sexes sur les plans de la tendance aux fantasmes, de l'absorption, de l'expectative et de l'hypnotisabilité.

Johanne Reynault C. Tr. (STIBC)

Resumen

Esta investigación examina los efectos de proveer información que relacione las actitudes de los participantes hacia la hipnosis con el desempeño hipnótico subsecuente. Utilizando las puntuaciones totales de la escala de Opiniones sobre Hipnosis de McConkey, así como las puntuaciones de las subescalas, los autores encontraron una asociación débil entre las actitudes y el desempeño de 460 estudiantes participantes; sin embargo, la correlación no se alteró por la información prehipnótica específica relacionando las actitudes con el desempeño. Una medida breve de 3 reactivos sobre las expectativas hipnóticas generó la correlación más fuerte con la sensibilidad a la respuesta hipnótica. Los autores también encontraron que la asociación entre la tendencia a la fantasía y la habilidad hipnótica no se alteró por el orden de administración de las escalas. Finalmente, el estudio resaltó diferencias por género en las medidas de tendencia a la fantasía, absorción, expectativas, y habilidad hipnótica.

Omar Sánchez-Armáss Cappello Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi Mexico

Notes

² Braffman and Kirsch (1999) instructed participants to read a description of each individual suggestion prior to being hypnotized. Participants indicated the extent to which they thought they would respond to each item. The sum of these responses constituted the expectancy measure. Motivation, in contrast, was measured by having participants indicate the extent to which they wanted to respond to each item.

³As coined by Bruce Carlson (2009, personal communication), a backwards hierarchical regression analysis utilizes a backwards elimination procedure with the constraint that no lower order terms can be eliminated unless all higher order terms including that lower term have already been eliminated.

⁴Two of the ICMI items specifically refer to hypnosis (i.e., “I would like to experience hypnosis”; and, “I think I am hypnotizable.”). The correlation between the ICMI and the HGSHS:A was virtually identical whether these items were excluded (r = .31, p < .01) or included (r = .33, p < .01) as part of the ICMI total scale score. Another ICMI item deals with pregnancy and is specific to women. Eliminating this item from the ICMI total scale score did not affect the correlations between the ICMI and other measures.

⁵The wording of the individual OAH items that were retained in the regression models are listed below, along with the entire sample's zero-order correlation with the HGSHS:A listed in parentheses: 1. Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, quite different from normal waking consciousness (r = .24, p < .01); 2. Hypnosis is a normal state of consciousness that simply involves the focusing of attention (r = −.08, p = .09). 6. During hypnosis, responsive subjects experience the effects without having to consciously try to make them happen (r = .23, p < .01); 13. During hypnosis, responsive subjects feel that time stands still (r = .26, p < .01); 17. Suggestions given during hypnosis can make subjects remember things that they could not normally remember (r = .24, p < .01).