Test-Retest Reliability of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C and the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale

This project aimed to assess the consistency of hypnotizability over repeated assessments when measured by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C (SHSS:C), and the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) and to contrast score distribution and pleasantness of these scales. University students were administered either the SHSS:C or the EHS twice with a one-week delay by separate experimenters. Test-retest reliability of the EHS and the SHSS:C was r _s =.82 (.71-.92) and r _s =.66, 95% (.47-.86), respectively (Spearman's correlation). Hypnotizability was comparable at test and retest in the EHS group, SHSS:C scores decreased by the retest. We found that the SHSS:C produced higher scores than the EHS, and the pleasantness of the 2 scales was comparable. Overall, our results supported the reliability of the EHS, while SHSS:C scores were more inconsistent between the 2 assessments. More research is warranted.