Hypnotic suggestibility is unaffected by a challenging inhibitory task or mental exhaustion.

Abstract

Executive functioning is paramount to the successful exertion of inhibitory control over automatic impulses and desires. Despite disagreements in determining the exact mechanisms responsible for hypnosis, many theories involve the use of, or alterations in, frontal processing and top-down executive functioning. The present study sought to explore this relationship by examining whether a transient state of reduced inhibitory control influences susceptibility to hypnosis. Specifically, participants completed a color naming task designed to place differing demands on inhibitory control processes before experiencing a hypnotic induction and four suggestions. Bayesian analysis indicated substantial evidence that the prior exertion of inhibitory control processes does not influence subsequent susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion. The study provides evidence that inhibitory impairment, often experienced by those with a range of disorders (such as anxiety and depression), should not affect receptiveness to hypnotic procedures.