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Expectancy versus absorption in the prediction of hypnotic responding
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Hypnotic context influences imaginative involvement (Absorption Scale) and expectancies, enhancing hypnotic responsiveness. Post-induction expectancies, not hypnotic depth, predict hypnotic behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The Absorption Scale measures imaginative involvement.
- Hypnotic responsiveness can be influenced by contextual factors and individual expectancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the Absorption Scale, hypnotic responsivity, and expectancies within a hypnotic context.
- To determine the predictive power of pre- and post-induction expectancies on hypnotic behavior.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Absorption Scale to 128 subjects in either a hypnosis or non-hypnosis context.
- Assessed expectancies before and after trance induction.
- Measured hypnotic depth using the Long Stanford Scale (LSS) and Inventory of Hypnotic Depth (IHD).
Main Results:
- Absorption correlated with hypnotic responsivity and expectancy only in the hypnotic context.
- Post-induction expectancies uniquely predicted response to hypnotic suggestions.
- Path analysis supported that trance induction alters expectancies, influencing hypnotic behavior.
Conclusions:
- Context significantly impacts the measurement and effect of absorption on hypnosis.
- Altered expectancies following trance induction are key determinants of hypnotic responsiveness.