Hypnotizability, personality style, and attachment: an exploratory study, part 1-general results

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Hypnotizability, personality, and attachment are key psychological constructs.
• Previous research has explored these factors independently.
• Understanding their interplay offers deeper insights into individual differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between hypnotizability, personality styles, and attachment.
• To identify personality predictors of hypnotizability within different attachment groups.
• To differentiate high hypnotizable individuals based on personality and attachment.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory study involving 99 students.
• Utilized Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A.
• Administered Personality Styles and Disorders Inventory and Relationship Scale Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Personality styles significantly predicted hypnotizability in the whole sample, securely attached, and insecurely attached groups.
• High hypnotizability was associated with unselfish/self-sacrificing, charming/histrionic, and optimistic/rhapsodic personality styles.
• Two distinct high hypnotizable groups emerged: securely attached (socio-cognitive) and insecurely attached (dissociation theories).

Conclusions:

• Personality styles are significant determinants of hypnotizability, moderated by attachment.
• Securely attached high hypnotizables align with socio-cognitive models.
• Insecurely attached high hypnotizables are better explained by dissociation theories.