Serial organization during posthypnotic amnesia using a modified version of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale.

Abstract

A version of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C) modified for group testing was administered to 108 subjects. The final item on the scale was modified to enable (a) computation of a continuous amnesia score for each subject and (b) the measurement of serial organization on the recall trials during amnesia and after the cancellation of amnesia. Scores on the SHSS:C (computed without the amnesia item) and amnesia were significantly correlated. Furthermore, SHSS:C scores correlated significantly and negatively with three of four indexes of seriation during amnesia. Amnesia scores, however, correlated significantly with only one of the seriation measures, and in regression analyses the addition of amnesia to SHSS:C scores did not enhance prediction of any organization index. Methodological and theoretical implications are discussed.