A General Factor of Hypnotizability Revealed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Hypnotizability is a key individual difference variable.
• Standardized measures are crucial for reliable assessment.
• Previous research has explored the factor structure of hypnotizability scales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the model fit of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C).
• To assess the unidimensionality of hypnotizability in a clinical sample of post-menopausal women.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed.
• The Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C) was administered to 168 participants.
• Goodness-of-fit indices, including CFI and RMSEA, were calculated.

Main Results:

• The single-factor structure of the SHSS:C demonstrated the best fit to the data.
• Twelve indicators based on individual items provided a strong model fit.
• The findings support the unidimensional construct of hypnotizability.

Conclusions:

• The SHSS:C exhibits a single-factor structure, confirming its utility for measuring hypnotizability.
• Future hypnotizability scales can be optimized by selecting items strongly correlating with the overall score.
• Further research with diverse populations is needed to confirm generalizability.