A cross-validation of two differing measures of hypnotic depth

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Hypnotic depth is a complex phenomenon with various measurement approaches.
• Differentiating between subjective experience and objective trance estimation is crucial in hypnosis research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive validity of the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory: Hypnotic Assessment Procedure (PCI-HAP) for measuring hypnotic depth.
• To determine if self-reported hypnotic depth scores and hypnoidal state scores represent distinct constructs.

Main Methods:

• Regression analyses were performed to predict two measures of hypnotic depth: self-reported hypnotic depth score and hypnoidal state score.
• The Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory: Hypnotic Assessment Procedure (PCI-HAP) variables were used as predictors.
• Cross-validation was employed to assess the stability of the predictive models.

Main Results:

• Predicting self-reported hypnotic depth yielded an R of .78, which slightly shrank to r = .72 upon cross-validation.
• Predicting hypnoidal state scores resulted in an R of .56, shrinking to r = .48 upon cross-validation.
• The shrinkage in predictive accuracy suggests distinct underlying factors for each measure.

Conclusions:

• The self-reported hypnotic depth score and the hypnoidal state score appear to measure different constructs.
• While some shared variance exists, the distinct predictive models support their separation in hypnosis research.
• The PCI-HAP demonstrates utility in differentiating facets of hypnotic experience.