Hypnotizability Levels Research Articles

Sleepiness may predict hypnotizability, while personality traits do not

ABSTRACT Sleepiness and personality traits have been controversially reported as associated to individual hypnotizability level i.e. receptiveness to hypnotic suggestions and behave accordingly. In this study, we further investigate the relationship between the level of general daytime sleepiness and personality traits with the level of hypnotizability. Seventy-eight healthy young volunteers (34 women) completed the fast assessment of general daytime sleepiness and personality with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the 10-item Big Five Inventory respectively, and underwent hypnotic evaluation through the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility Form A (HGSHS:A). Main findings revealed a correlation between sleepiness and hypnotizability levels, and no influence of personality traits. Interestingly, women exhibited higher levels of hypnotizability compared to men. Taken together, these results suggest that sleepiness assessment might be considered as a predictive tool to hypnotic suggestions, which would offer practical insight for enhancing hypnosis intervention efficacy.

Hypnotizability-related risky experience and behavior

Risk is the probability of an adverse event. The proneness to take a risk and the risk taking behavior differ among the general population.Hypnotizability is a stable psychophysiological trait expressing the individual proneness to modify perception, memory and behavior following specific suggestions also in the ordinary state of consciousness. Some hypnotizability-related neurophysiological and behavioral correlates suggest that hypnotizability level, measured by standard scales classifying individuals as low (lows), medium (mediums) and high hypnotizable (highs) subjects, can be related to risk propensity and risk-taking. To study whether hypnotizability modulates risk propensity and behavior, we recruited healthy participants, classified through the Standford Hypnotic Susceptibility scale, form A, and compared lows’ (n = 33), mediums’ (n = 19) and highs’(n = 15) experiential and behavioral risk perception and propensity variables through the Domain-specific risk-taking scale and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. MANOVA results indicated that different hypnotizability levels are not associated with different risky behavior and experience, except for higher expected financial benefits from risky behavior in lows. However, hypnotizability-related risk profiles were identified through correlational analyses. In fact, highs exhibited a negative association between risk perception and propensity to risk-taking, whereas mediums and lows displayed a positive association between risk propensity and expected benefit. In conclusion, the highs’ profile indicates a more automatic behavior with respect to mediums and lows.

Feasibility of the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale–Spanish Translation

ABSTRACT The absence of a Spanish translation of the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (EHS) suggests access to clinical research and hypnotic interventions may be limited for those in predominantly Spanish-speaking populations. The present study aims to mitigate this disparity by providing a translation of the EHS to facilitate participation in experimental research and clinical care in Spanish-speaking communities. The EHS was translated and administered to 9 participants. No major modifications were done to the characteristics or structure of the EHS after translation. To assess feasibility, mean hypnotizability levels and self-reported levels of pleasantness and comprehension were observed and compared to the English EHS. The results provide a Spanish translation of the EHS. This study demonstrates the Spanish translation of the EHS is feasible for further research.

Hypnotizability-Related Asymmetries: A Review

Hypnotizability is a dispositional trait reflecting the individual ability to modify perception, memory and behavior according to imaginative suggestions. It is measured by validated scales that classify the general population in high (highs), medium (mediums) and low (lows) hypnotizable persons, predicts the individual proneness to respond to suggestions, and is particularly popular in the field of the cognitive control of pain and anxiety. Different hypnotizability levels, however, have been associated with specific brain morpho-functional characteristics and with peculiarities in the cognitive, sensorimotor and cardiovascular domains also in the ordinary state of consciousness and in the absence of specific suggestions. The present scoping review was undertaken to summarize the asymmetries observed in the phenomenology and physiological correlates of hypnosis and hypnotizability as possible indices of related hemispheric prevalence. It presents the findings of 137 papers published between 1974 and 2019. In summary, in the ordinary state of consciousness, behavioral, neurophysiological and neuroimaging investigations have revealed hypnotizability related asymmetries mainly consisting of pre-eminent left hemisphere information processing/activation in highs, and no asymmetries or opposite directions of them in lows. The described asymmetries are discussed in relation to the current theories of hypnotizability and hypnosis.

Effects of Prehypnotic Instructions on Hypnotizability and Relationships Between Hypnotizability, Absorption, and Empathy

Although hypnotizability exhibits high across-time and across-test consistencies, it is not clear (a) how different preambles to a hypnotic procedure (metasuggestions) influence responsiveness to suggestions and the strength of the association between two hypnotizability scales and (b) how hypnotizability relates to absorption and empathy. In Experiment 1, nonclinical participants (N = 152 women) were administered the Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (MODTAS), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP), and Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C). In Experiment 2, nonclinical participants (N = 188; 105 women and 83 men) were administered the MODTAS, IRI, and Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A). The induction scores of the HIP (HIP-IND) and the SHSS:C scores showed a significantly stronger correlation when the HIP was introduced to the participants after hypnosis metasuggestion (HIP-H-IND) than after imagination metasuggestion (HIP-I-IND). Metasuggestion was a moderator of the association between HIP-IND and SHSS:C scores. Participants with low and medium, but not with high, hypnotizability levels on the SHSS:C showed significantly higher scores on the HIP-I-IND than on the HIP-H-IND. The strong correlations between the SHSS:C, HIP-H-IND, and HIP eye-roll (HIP-ER) scores indicate that both the HIP-H-IND and HIP-ER are robust measures of hypnotizability. Absorption and empathy were not significantly associated with hypnotizability. Women were more hypnotizable than men, as assessed by the HGSHS:A. The clinical relevance of metasuggestions, intended to increase responsiveness to suggestions, is discussed as a strategy to improve treatment outcomes.

Visuospatial imagery in healthy individuals with different hypnotizability levels

Hypnotizability is a psychophysiological trait associated with morpho-functional brain differences. Since also cerebellar peculiarities have been reported in individuals with different hypnotizability levels and the cerebellar function is relevant to spatial imagery, the present study was aimed at investigating possible hypnotizability-related differences in the ability of spatial imagery.Highly (highs, N = 31), low (lows, N = 17) and medium (mediums, N = 16) hypnotizable participants (classified by Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A) of both genders were submitted to a test of mental rotation, which requires the integrity of both executive and cerebellar structures. In order to disentangle the role of the cerebellum from that of executive circuits as much as possible, visuospatial and verbal working memory tests, which mainly reflect executive processes, were also performed.Healthy highs exhibited higher scores of mental rotation ability compared to mediums in the absence of significant differences in visual-spatial and verbal working memory. Lows reported intermediate scores not significantly different from both highs’ and mediums’. Different cognitive strategies were observed in the three groups as the correlations between mental rotation, visuospatial and verbal working memory were different in highs, mediums and lows.In conclusion, present findings represent the first report of hypnotizability-related differences in a mental rotation task, which is relevant to several cognitive functions.

Chaos–chaos transition of left hemisphere EEGs during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of hypnotic susceptibility

A recent study, recurrence quantification analysis of EEG signals during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of hypnotic susceptibility investigated recurrence quantifiers (RQs) of hypnotic electroencephalograph (EEG) signals recorded after hypnotic induction while subjects were doing standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale (WSGS) of hypnotic susceptibility to distinguish subjects of different hypnotizability levels. Following the same analysis, the current study determines the capability of different RQs to distinguish subjects of low, medium and high hypnotizability level and studies the influence of hypnotizability level on underlying dynamic of tasks. Besides, EEG channels were sorted according to the number of their RQs, which differed significantly among subjects of different hypnotizability levels. Another valuable result was determination of major brain regions in observing significant differences in various task types (ideomotors, hallucination, challenge and memory).

Recurrence quantification analysis of electroencephalograph signals during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford group scale of hypnotic susceptibility

The purpose of this study was to apply RQA (recurrence quantification analysis) on hypnotic electroencephalograph (EEG) signals recorded after hypnotic induction while subjects were doing standard tasks of the Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale (WSGS) of hypnotic susceptibility. Then recurrence quantifiers were used to analyse the influence of hypnotic depth on EEGs. By the application of this method, the capability of tasks to distinguish subjects of different hypnotizability levels was determined. Besides, medium hypnotizable subjects showed the highest disposition to be inducted by hypnotizer. Similarities between brain governing dynamics during tasks of the same type were also observed. The present study demonstrated two remarkable innovations; investigating the EEGs of the hypnotized as doing mental tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale (WSGS) and applying RQA on hypnotic EEGs.

The impacts of hypnotic susceptibility on chaotic dynamics of EEG signals during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale

Chaotic features of hypnotic EEG (electroencephalograph), recorded during standard tasks of Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of hypnotic susceptibility (WSGS), were used to investigate the underlying dynamic of tasks and analyse the effect of hypnotic depth and concentration on EEG signals. Results demonstrate: (1) More efficiency of Higuchi dimension in comparison with Correlation dimension to distinguish subjects from different hypnotizable groups, (2) Channels with significantly different chaotic features among people from various hypnotizability levels in tasks, (3) High level of consistency among discriminating channels of tasks with function of brain’s lobes, (4) Most affectability of medium hypnotizable subjects and (5) Rise in fractal dimensions due to increase in hypnosis depth.

Comparison of different EEG features in estimation of hypnosis susceptibility level

Hypnosis has long been known to be associated with heightened control over physical processes and researchers put it under consideration because of its usage as a therapeutic tool in many medical and psychological problems. Determination of hypnosis susceptibility level is important before prescribing any hypnotic treatment. In this study different features are introduced to classify hypnotizability levels. These features were extracted from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals which were recorded from 32 subjects during hypnosis suggestion. Based on the obtained result, a method was suggested to estimate the hypnosis susceptibility level from hypnosis EEG signals instead of using traditional clinical subjective tests.

Watching neutral and threatening movies: Subjective experience and autonomic responses in subjects with different hypnotizability levels

Subjects with high hypnotizability scores (Highs) have been considered more prone to experience negative affect and more vulnerable to its autonomic effects with respect to low hypnotizable individuals (Lows). The aim of the study was to analyze the subjective experience, tonic skin conductance (SC), respiratory frequency (RF), heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) of healthy Highs and Lows during a long-lasting, emotionally neutral task (Session R, 46 subjects) and a moderately threatening one (Session T, 35 subjects). At the end of the relaxing Session R, all participants reported an increased relaxation. At the end of the threatening Session T, only 20 subjects reported a decreased relaxation (effective T: eT subsample). Highs and Lows of this subsample reported a similarly reduced relaxation and showed a similarly increased skin conductance. HR and HRV did not differ between the two sessions and between Highs and Lows. Among the subjects not reporting decreased relaxation at the end of Session T (ineffective T: iT subsample, n=15), relaxation was deeper and associated with lower skin conductance in Highs, although HR and HRV did not differ between Highs and Lows. All together, the results do not support the hypothesis of higher proneness of Highs to experience negative affect and to exhibit the autonomic correlates of negative emotion.

Visual Identification of Haptically Explored Objects in High and Low Hypnotizable Subjects

Hypnotizability is associated with peculiar characteristics of sensorimotor integration, imaginal abilities, and preferences in the sensory modality of imagery. The visual recognition of haptically explored objects involves an interaction among these processes and is a proper tool to investigate their possible hypnotizability-related modulation. Sixteen high hypnotizables and 16 lows participated in the study. Higher frequencies of correct recognition (RF) were observed in highs. RF improved across both groups. As an effect of learning, shorter recognition times were found in males among highs and in females among lows. The findings are consistent with the literature suggesting that hypnotizability levels may be associated with specific modes of sensory integration and/or imagery.

Reduced prepulse inhibition is associated with increased hypnotizability

Hypnosis involves the manipulation of conscious attentional discrimination. The prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm assesses primary unconscious information processing. We investigated the correlation between hypnotizability and PPI of the startle reflex. Forty-eight healthy subjects were evaluated with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C) and acoustic PPI. Subjects were divided into low, medium, and high hypnotizable groups. The low-hypnotizable group showed a significantly higher inhibition of the startle response, at lead intervals 60 ms and 120 ms, than did the medium- and high-hypnotizable groups. We conclude that hypnotizability and PPI may be negatively correlated. These findings lend further support for the role of dopaminergic neurotransmission mechanisms in the determination of hypnotizability levels.

Hypnotizability and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Prospective Study

Although there is converging evidence that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with higher levels of hypnotizability, there are no studies concerning the stability of hypnotizability levels following trauma. Acutely traumatized participants with acute stress disorder (N = 45) were administered the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale (SHCS) within 4 weeks of their trauma. Participants were subsequently administered a brief cognitive-behavior therapy program. Six months after treatment, participants were re-assessed with the SHCS. Although SHCS scores were generally stable (r = .47), two thirds of participants responded differently across the 2 assessments. Increased SHCS scores at the second assessment were correlated with elevated PTSD avoidance scores. This finding suggests that elevated hypnotizability in PTSD populations may not be entirely stable and may be associated with specific PTSD responses.

Measuring hypnotizability in psychotic patients.

Abstract The belief that psychotic individuals cannot be hypnotized or have diminished hypnotic capacity can be challenged. The empirical work that has been done thus far has focused almost exclusively on schizophrenic patients, ignoring other types of psychotic illness. Little attention has been given to a Dumber of important factors, such as accurate diagnosis, current level of functioning, age, chronicity of illness, medication, course of hospitalization, and similar variables that may he important in the determination of hypnotizability in individuals with severe psychiatric problems. In addition, only a single measure of hypnotic ability has been typically taken in assessing hypnotizability levels in psychiatric patients. Questions concerning the effect of psychiatric illness as well as of treatment on hypnotic ability are naturally raised. Finally, the question of the usefulness of hypnotic assessment in the clinic is addressed.