Tellegen Absorption Scale Research Articles

Predicting individual differences in peak emotional response.

Why does the same experience elicit strong emotional responses in some individuals while leaving others largely indifferent? Is the variance influenced by who people are (personality traits), how they feel (emotional state), where they come from (demographics), or a unique combination of these? In this 2,900+ participants study, we disentangle the factors that underlie individual variations in the universal experience of aesthetic chills, the feeling of cold and shivers down the spine during peak experiences. Here, we unravel the interplay of psychological and sociocultural dynamics influencing self-reported chills reactions. A novel technique harnessing mass data mining of social media platforms curates the first large database of ecologically sourced chills-evoking stimuli. A combination of machine learning techniques (LASSO and SVM) and multilevel modeling analysis elucidates the interacting roles of demographics, traits, and states factors in the experience of aesthetic chills. These findings highlight a tractable set of features predicting the occurrence and intensity of chills-age, sex, pre-exposure arousal, predisposition to Kama Muta (KAMF), and absorption (modified tellegen absorption scale [MODTAS]), with 73.5% accuracy in predicting the occurrence of chills and accounting for 48% of the variance in chills intensity. While traditional methods typically suffer from a lack of control over the stimuli and their effects, this approach allows for the assignment of stimuli tailored to individual biopsychosocial profiles, thereby, increasing experimental control and decreasing unexplained variability. Further, they elucidate how hidden sociocultural factors, psychological traits, and contextual states shape seemingly "subjective" phenomena.

Prevalence of visual snow and relation to attentional absorption.

Visual snow is a condition of unclear prevalence characterized by tiny flickering dots throughout the entire visual field. It appears to result from visual cortex hyperactivity and possibly correlates with propensity to be engrossed in sensory and imaginary experiences (absorption). The prevalence and correlates of visual snow, and emotional reactions to it, were explored in the general Portuguese population with three studies with online surveys. In Study 1, 564 participants were shown an animated graphic simulation of visual snow and asked to rate how frequently they have similar percepts on a scale anchored by 0% and 100% of their waking time. They also reported their degree of distress and fascination resulting from visual snow. Absorption was measured with the Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale. 44% of respondents reported they see visual snow at least 10% of the time, and 20% reported seeing it between 80% and 100% of the time. Similar to findings in clinical samples, the frequency of visual snow correlated with tinnitus frequency and entoptic phenomena, but not with ophthalmologic problems. It was confirmed that visual snow is related to absorption. Although distress caused by visual snow was generally absent or minimal in our samples, a substantial minority (28%) reported moderate to high levels of distress. High fascination with visual snow was reported by 9%. In Studies 2 and 3, visual snow was measured by means of verbal descriptions without graphic simulation ("visual field full of tiny dots of light" and "world seen with many dots of light", respectively). The results were similar to those in Study 1, but seeing visual snow 80%-100% of the time was less frequent (6.5% in Study 2 and 3.6% in Study 3). Visual snow has been insufficiently investigated. More research is needed to uncover underlying neurophysiological mechanisms and psychological and behavioral correlates.

HERO-Trial: Integration of self-hypnosis in an enhanced recovery after surgery program: A prospective randomized trial (115)

<b>Objectives:</b> Self-hypnosis (SH) induces patients into a relaxed state that may include feelings of dissociation through deep breathing and guided imagery. Studies have shown that SH can reduce patient distress prior to surgery and postoperative pain and anxiety. We evaluated whether adding SH to our enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway was feasible and if it could improve patient-reported pain and anxiety and further decrease opioid use. <b>Methods:</b> Patients scheduled for open gynecologic surgery were randomized to either standard ERAS care or ERAS + SH. The 20-minute, 3D, SH audio recording was based on a well-validated medical hypnosis script. Patients in the SH arm were asked to listen to the audio file at least twice before surgery, although they had access to use it ad-lib after consent. The feasibility endpoint was defined as 60% of patients listening to the entire SH audio file in the preoperative holding area. The primary effectiveness outcome was worst pain on POD 1 (24-hour recall) on a 0-10 scale, assessed with the MDASI-PeriOpGYN. Secondary outcomes included anxiety, quality of life, symptom burden, time to the first opioid, quality of recovery (QoR-15), and morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) on POD 0-3. Hypnotic suggestibility was assessed by the Tellegen Absorption scale. Expectations and manageability of postoperative symptoms were assessed by the Side-Effect Expectancy Questionnaire (SEEQ). Satisfaction with the SH experience was evaluated. Summary statistics, Fisher's exact test (categorical variables), and Wilcoxon rank-sum test (continuous variables) were utilized. <b>Results:</b> A total of 152 patients were randomized and 138 had surgery and were evaluable (ERAS: <i>n</i> = 67; ERAS+SH: <i>n</i> = 71) (Table 1). Incorporation of SH was considered feasible, with 77.5% of ERAS+SH patients able to listen to the entire SH audio file in the preoperative holding unit. The study was stopped early due to futility in achieving the primary effectiveness outcome (pain on POD1). There were no significant differences in the primary outcome of worst pain on POD 1 (ERAS: 6/10; ERAS+SH: 7/10) (p=.70). The median age was 61 years in the ERAS arm and 54 years in the ERAS+SH arm (Table 1 for demographics). There were no significant differences in ERAS compliance, anesthesia type, or length of stay. No significant differences between the groups were noted on expectations, perceived ability to manage postoperative symptoms or hypnotic suggestibility. Median scores on the five satisfaction questions were 8/10 or above. There were no differences in median preoperative anxiety scores between the arms (ERAS: 4, IQR: 1-6; ERAS+SH: 4, IQR: 3-7). In the ERAS+SH arm, anxiety scores decreased significantly after the SH intervention in the preoperative holding unit -2 points (IQR:-3,-1) to a median score of 2 (p<.001). There were no significant differences in median MEDD on POD 0-3 between the two arms (daily median MEDD ranged from 0-15) or time to the first opioid. The quality of recovery score on the day of discharge was not significantly different between groups (ERAS: 110, IQR: 92-127; ERAS+SH: 107, IQR: 88-121). <b>Conclusions:</b> Incorporating SH into an ERAS pathway was feasible with high levels of satisfaction. While the SH intervention led to a statistically and clinically significant decrease in self-reported anxiety levels preoperatively, there were no group differences in self-reported pain, quality of recovery, time to the first opioid, or hospital MEDD. Given the ease of accessing and listening to an audio file, this SH intervention can be easily integrated into perioperative care to decrease preoperative anxiety.

Does hypnotizability affect neurovascular coupling during cognitive tasks?

Susceptibility to hypnosis is a very pervasive psychophysiological trait characterized by different attentional abilities, information processing, and cardiovascular control. Since near infrared spectroscopy is a good index of neurovascular coupling, we used it during mental computation (MC) and trail making task (TMT) in 13 healthy low-to-medium (med-lows) and 10 healthy medium-to-high (med-highs) hypnotizable participants classified according to the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, form A, and characterized for the level of proneness to be deeply absorbed in related experiences by the Tellegen Absorption Scale. The med-highs reported greater absorption than med-lows. The tissue hemoglobin index (THI) and the tissue oxygenation index (TOI) increased across the tasks only in med-highs who displayed also different time courses of THI and TOI during MC and TMT, which indicates different tasks processing despite the two groups’ similar performance. The findings suggest that med-highs’ tissue oxygenation is more finely adjusted to metabolic demands than med-lows’.

Sleep Paralysis and Extraordinary Experiences

We investigated sleep paralysis (SP) with an online questionnaire. Our sample consisted of 380 participants who experienced at least one SP. In this paper, we present the relation of SP to extraordinary experiences, paranormal beliefs, and absorption. We used a German questionnaire, Fragebogen zur Phänomenologie außergewöhnlicher Erfahrungen (PAGE-R-II), to assess the extent to which people with SP have had other extraordinary experiences, a German translation of the Belief in the Supernatural Scale (BitSS), and a German version of the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS). Our hypotheses regarding a positive correlation between the frequency of SP and certain forms of extraordinary experiences, paranomal/ supernatural beliefs, and absorption were only partially confirmed. We found an expected significant correlation between the frequency of SP and the expression on the PAGE dimensions “Dissociation” and “External,” but not between SP frequency and the other scales. The group (55%) reporting paranormal experiences during SP had highly significant higher mean scores on the PAGE, BitSS, and TAS. There were also significant correlations between the applied scales and specific hallucinatory perceptions and emotions, which leads us to believe that two main types of experiencing SP may exist: one mainly connected with typical negative emotions and a more external focus of experience, and another characterized by positive emotions and more internally experienced perceptions. This hypothesis requires further investigations.

Predictors of altered states of consciousness triggered by sexual activity

ABSTRACT Introduction Altered states of consciousness (ASCs) refer to marked changes in usual waking consciousness. Sexual arousal, orgasm, and resolution, are modulated by neural pathways that are also activated by psychoactive substances that trigger ASCs. Relatedly, self-report studies show that sexual activity may trigger ASCs. However, investigation about sex-related ASCs is scarce. More knowledge in this regard is important, as these states can be pleasant and enriching. Objectives To explore correlates and predictors of ASCs elicited by sexual activity. Method The international sample consisted of 291 participants who responded to an online survey (196 women, 95 men). Sexual functioning was measured with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15). The Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale was used to measure the general propensity to experience ASCs by various triggers (absorption). Alterations of consciousness beginning during or shortly after the last sexual encounter were assessed by four subscales of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV): 1) Experience of Unity (sense of merging between self and surroundings), 2) Spiritual Experience (sense of connection with a reality outside space and time as ordinarily experienced), 3) Insightfulness (emergence of original thoughts), 4) Blissful State (unusual sense of pleasure, peace, and love). Results Better female sexual function (FSFI total score) correlated significantly with Experience of Unity (r = .24), Blissful State (r = .37), Spiritual Experience (r = .25), and marginally with Insightfulness (r = .15, p = .069). Arousal was the dimension of female sexual function more robustly correlated with ASCs; female arousal correlated with Experience of Unity (r = .27), Blissful State (r = .40), Spiritual Experience (r = .24), and Insightfulness (r = .20). Women's absorption was significantly related to higher desire (r = .15), but not to other dimensions of sexual functioning. In women, sexual arousal and absorption independently predicted Experience of Unity (βSA = .26, βAB = .45), Spiritual Experience (βSA = .23, βAB = .50), Blissful State (βSA = .40, βAB = .29), and Insightfulness (βSA = .19, βAB = .47). All other dimensions of female sexual functioning did not significantly explain additional variance. Men's associations between sexual functioning and ASCs were less consistent: male sexual satisfaction was significantly associated with Experience of Unity (r = .25), Blissful State (r = .34), and Insightfulness (r = .28); male orgasmic function was associated with Blissful State (r =.35). Other IIEF-15 dimensions were unrelated to ASCs. In men, sexual satisfaction and absorption independently predicted Experience of Unity (βSS = .29, βAB = .48), Spiritual Experience (βss = .20, βAB = .52), Blissful State (βSS = .37, βAB = .33), and Insightfulness (βSS = .33, βAB = .51). Conclusions The occurrence of sex-related ASCs appears to be independently related to sexual responsiveness and general propensity to experience ASCs by a variety of triggers, sexual and nonsexual. As noted in previous studies, ASCs and sexual functioning were more strongly related in women than in men. Studies on the importance of ASCs for sexual well-being are warranted. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

Examining the Relation Between Practicing Meditation and Having Peak Experiences and Lucid Dreams. A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to compare meditators and non-meditators in terms of their tendency to have peak experiences and their dream lucidity, while examining the associations between these outcomes and some related variables such as non-dual awareness, mindfulness facets and absorption. In this cross-sectional study, 237 participants from general Spanish population completed an online survey that included ad hoc questions related to the study aim, along with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Non-dual Embodiment Thematic Inventory (NETI), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS) and the Lucidity and Consciousness in Dreams Scale (LUCID). Of the total, 110 participants were identified as meditators and 127 as non-meditators. More than half of the sample (58.2%) reported having experienced at least one peak experience in their life; these showed no differences in the number, intensity, or self-inducing ability of these experiences between both groups but were significantly more common among meditators (71.8% vs. 46.8%; p < 0.001), who also presented higher scores in most of the questionnaires, except for some LUCID subscales. Regression models demonstrated that being a meditator was a significant predictor of having had a peak experience, but not of LUCID scores. These results, which need to be interpreted considering the study limitations, support the potential of meditation to facilitate having peak experiences, while its impact on lucid dreams remains unclear.

Abstract- Poster

Background:Intrusive imagery is one of the prominent features in persons with OCD. Also, these patients show high anxiety and disgust sensitivity, preoccupation with OCD thoughts, images and urges, and higher scores on contentiousness factor of personality.Aim:The present study is designed with an aim to explore and correlate vividness of visual imagery, absorption, sensory processing sensitivity and personality factors in persons with OCD.Material and Method:30 persons with a diagnosis of OCD will be taken from outpatient department of Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra and other facilities. Following tools will be individually administered on them. (1) Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (Marks, 1973) (2) Tellegen Absorption Scale (Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974), Highly Sensitive Person Scale (Aron and Aron, 1997) and NEO-FFI-3 (Mccrae & Costa, 2004).Results:The data will be subjected to correlational analysis and to be shared during presentation.

Openness to experience, absorption-like states, and the aesthetic, explanatory, and pragmatic effects of literary reading

AbstractAlthough several measures of reading engagement (e.g., absorption, immersion) have been developed in recent years, the possibility that they reflect different constructs has not been systematically examined. The present study investigated two factorially independent forms of reading engagement measured by the Absorption-Like States Questionnaire (ASQ;Kuiken &amp; Douglas, 2017,2018). We examined whether (a) expressive enactment (ASQ-EE) and integrative comprehension (ASQ-IC) differentially predict aesthetic, explanatory, and pragmatic reading outcomes; (b) whether the components and outcomes of ASQ-EE and ASQ-IC differ from those of another measure of reading engagement (the Story World Absorption Scale, SWAS;Kuijpers et al., 2014), and (c) whether ASQ-EE and ASQ-IC are differentially related to two measures of trait openness to experience: the Tellegen Absorption Scale (Tellegen &amp; Atkinson, 1974) and the Big Five Aspects Scale for Openness/Intellect;DeYoung et al., 2007).

A quantitative exploration of the relationships between regular yoga practice, microdosing psychedelics, wellbeing and personality variables

ABSTRACT Objective: The current study aimed to explore whether the subjective effects of microdosing psychedelics are comparable to those of yoga in relation to psychological wellbeing, depression, anxiety and stress. It also explored the relationship between yoga, microdosing and personality. Method: The sample comprised 339 participants, yoga (n = 131), microdose (n = 69), microdose and yoga (n = 54) and control (n = 85). All completed measures of personality (M5-50 and Tellegen Absorption Scale), mood (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21) and wellbeing (Ryff Scales of Psychological Wellbeing). Results: The yoga and microdosing groups scored significantly higher on psychological wellbeing and absorption than the control. The microdosing and yoga group had lower depression scores than the microdose only group, and lower anxiety scores than the yoga only group. Furthermore, the microdosing and yoga group had the highest absorption score. Openness was significantly lower in the control group than in all other groups. Conclusions: While we cannot infer that yoga and microdosing lead to increased wellbeing, openness and absorption, or to decreased depression and anxiety, the findings suggest that the subjective effects of microdosing psychedelics are comparable to those of yoga and that the combination of both might be beneficial. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Yoga often leads to improved psychological wellbeing, decreased depressive and anxiety symptoms, decreased neuroticism, and increased openness and absorption. (2) A small number of recent studies have found that taking subthreshold doses of psychedelic substances, known as microdosing, has improved psychological wellbeing, reduced depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms and increased the personality traits of openness and absorption. What this topic adds: (1) We are the first researchers to compare the effects of yoga with psychedelic microdosing on wellbeing and personality. (2) Our findings suggest the effects of microdosing psychedelic substances might be comparable to those of yoga. (3) Our study implies the combination of both yoga and microdosing has complementary effects on general wellbeing and absorption.

Sex moderates the association between the COMT Val158Met single-nucleotide polymorphism and disorderliness facet of novelty seeking

Previous studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the effect of the Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene on personality and cognition. Here, nonclinical Caucasian university students of Italian origin were administered the Temperament and Character Inventory–Revised, Tellegen Absorption Scale, Differential Attentional Processes Inventory, and Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. We found that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism was significantly associated with the disorderliness facet of novelty seeking (NS4) and that sex was a moderator of this association. Females with the Met/Met genotype showed higher NS4 scores compared to those with the Val/Met and Val/Val genotypes. No significant genotype effect was found for males. Additionally, we failed to find a significant effect of the COMT gene on attention and hypnotic suggestibility measures. These results provide further evidence for a sex-specific influence on the gene–behaviour associations.

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.

The relationship with the voices as a dialogical experience: The role of self-focused attention and dissociation.

The purpose of this article was to study the relationship of self-focused attention and dissociation with the dialogical relationship persons diagnosed with psychosis have with their voices. The DAIMON Scale was applied to 62 persons diagnosed with psychosis to measure the dialogical relationship with their voices, and the Cambridge depersonalization scale, the Tellegen absorption scale, and the self-focused attention scale. The results showed that the dialogical relationship with the voices was associated with high levels of self-focused attention (private and public), depersonalization, and absorption. It was also found that absorption mediated significantly between public self-focused attention and the dialogical relationship with the voices. The role of dissociation and self-focused attention in forming the dialogical relationship a person with psychosis has with the voices is discussed and approaches to treatment are suggested.

Absorption and spiritual experience: A review of evidence and potential mechanisms.

Some people seem to have a 'talent' for spiritual experience: they readily sense the presence of supernatural beings, receive special messages from God, and report intense feelings of self-transcendence, awe and wonder. Here we review converging strands of evidence to argue that the trait of 'absorption' captures a general proclivity for having spiritual experiences. Participants scoring highly on the Tellegen Absorption Scale report vivid experiences of hearing God's voice during prayer, intense mystical experiences in response to psychedelics or placebo brain-stimulation, and strong feelings of presence and transcendence when confronted with natural beauty, virtual reality, or music. Several mechanisms may help to explain the relationship between absorption and spiritual experience. We suggest that absorption captures an experiential mindset that intensifies inner and outer sensory experience in ways that reflect both prior expectation and novel sensory engagement. It seems to enable that which must be imagined to feel more real.

Fully immersed: State absorption and electrophysiological effects of the OVO Whole-Body Perceptual Deprivation chamber.

Absorption, the ability to highly focus attention, as well as openness to self-altering experiences, is an important psychological construct, closely related to deep-meditation states and other altered states of consciousness. Yet, little is known about the electrophysiological profile of states of absorption, possibly due to the difficulty to induce this state in the lab. While most studies have used a visual Ganzfeld (homogeneous perceptual field), here we use a novel technique of full immersion-the OVO Whole-Body Perceptual Deprivation (OVO-WBPD) chamber, which is an altered sensory environment in the form of a human-sized egg. Consequently, the aims of the current study were to investigate whether the OVO-WBPD chamber induces state absorption, using first-person reports, as well as to examine electrophysiological change following immersion in this altered sensory environment. Fourteen participants volunteered to participate in the study. Trait absorption was measured using the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS). State absorption was assessed by analyzing the content of the subjective reports, using sub-categories of the absorption construct (e.g., synesthesia). EEG was measured before and during a 20-min OVO-WBPD experience. Using exact low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA), we analyzed change in oscillatory EEG activity and localized the generators of the scalp EEG power spectra following the OVO-WBPD. Our results show that OVO-WBPD immersion leads to a state of absorption in all participants. We also report significant increased oscillatory activity in the delta and beta bands, in the left inferior frontal cortex, with a peak in the sub-lobar of the left insula. In addition, a positive correlation was found between change in delta activity and trait absorption. The results are discussed in light of other meditative practices and altered states of consciousness.

Cognitive fusion and affective isolation: Blurred self-concept and empathy deficits in schizotypy

This is a cross-sectional nonclinical sample study to examine the different levels of the Ipsiety Disturbance Model (IDM) for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (introduced by Sass and Parnas, 2003). Three faces of schizotypy were studied: diminished self-presence, hyper-reflexivity, and distortion in experience of own self and another person's self-discrimination. A sample of college students (N = 1312) was provided a questionnaire packet that contained the Schizotypy Personality Questionnaire Brief–Revisited (SPQ-BR), the Self-Concept Clarity Sale, the Tellegen Absorption Scale, and Interpersonal Reactivity Index measures. Results: higher absorption capabilities predict higher scores on both the SPQ-BR cognitive and SPQ-BR disorganization factors. High scores in cognitive empathy predicted a low score on both SPQ-BR cognitive and SPQ-BR interpersonal scores. In contrast, higher affective empathy predicted high scores on the SPQ-BR interpersonal factor. The deficiency in self-concept clarity predicted an elevated score on the SPQ-BR cognitive, interpersonal, and disorganization schizotypy symptoms. We argue that a lack of self-concept clarity manifested in both the hyperreflexivity level (measured by absorption) and the metallization level (measured by empathy). We argue that the IDM is a reliable way to interpret functioning with different levels of schizotypy.

Getting absorbed in experimentally induced extraordinary experiences: Effects of placebo brain stimulation on agency detection.

Previous work demonstrated that placebo brain stimulation can function as an experimental tool to elicit mystical and quasi-mystical (i.e., extraordinary) experiences. However, it has not yet been investigated whether these effects result from mere sensory deprivation and individual differences in suggestibility, or whether expectancy manipulations are crucial in eliciting these effects. In this study, we showed that extraordinary experiences could be systematically manipulated by means of an expectancy manipulation using a within-subjects design, while controlling for suggestibility effects. We further observed that participants' score on the Tellegen absorption scale, an individual difference measure reflecting people's propensity to get immersed in external stimuli or mental imagery, is related to the frequency and intensity of such experiences. Finally, we investigated the relationship between extraordinary experiences and agency detection, which has been hypothesized to be associated to supernatural beliefs and experiences. The experimental induction of extraordinary experiences did not result in increased agency detection.

Effectiveness of Hypnosis Techniques to Quit Smoking

Background: The main reason for carrying out this study was to realize that tobacco addicted are more than their beliefs, family, social life, religion, profession, and paradigms. Aim: The objective of this project was to help patients quit smoking through hypnosis techniques and, consequently, to help them face quitting methods more comfortably and safely and also avoid relapse. Methods: This project started with a biographical questionnaire, identification of smoker phases and some suggestion hypnotics are also evaluated through classic tests (vigils suggestions) and the Tellegen Absorption Scale. After collecting the data, we proceeded to an intervention plan that in synthesis had the following phases: sessions 3 and 4 aimed at obtaining a hypnotic trance with sufficient stability and depth, we value the state achieved as a medium-deep trance and spontaneous hypnotic phenomena. The next sessions, 5 and 6, we apply as ego strengthening and suggestions to demystify previously recorded thoughts, feelings and, consequently, behavior. Sessions 7 we explain the concept and importance of self-hypnosis. Results: The quantitative results will be presented here to show the effectiveness of the project developed. The most important information is the number of people who interrupted tobacco dependence: 16 (80%) out of 20 quit smoking, of which 10 (50%) were men and 10 (50%) were women. Four patients (20%) did not complete the treatment, 2 men and 2 women. Conclusion: It was possible to verify that quitting smoking through hypnosis is effective, because the smokers can transform their cognitive system and, thereby, they can change, naturally, their biopsychological paradigms in all contexts of their lives.

Deep, effortless concentration: re-examining the flow concept and exploring relations with inattention, absorption, and personality.

Conceptualizing the construct of flow in terms of 'deep and effortless concentration', we developed two measurement scales designed to index individual differences in flow during 'internal' tasks, such as thinking (deep effortless concentration: internal-DECI) and during 'external' tasks, such as while playing a sport (deep effortless concentration: external-DECE). These scales were highly correlated, indicating that individuals prone to experiencing flow in external contexts are also prone to experience flow in internal contexts. Nonetheless, a measurement model construing internal and external flow as related, but separate, constructs was found to fit the data significantly better than a model where theywere construed as a single construct. We then explored associations between flow and various forms of everyday inattention. In addition, we explored the relation between flow and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), an index of absorption, as well as the Big Five personality traits. Amongst other things, we found that flow was negatively related to inattention, indicating that people who experience flow more frequently may experience relatively less inattention in everyday contexts.

Absorption in Sport: A Cross-Validation Study.

Absorption has been identified as readiness for experiences of deep involvement in the task. Conceptually, absorption is a key psychological construct, incorporating experiential, cognitive, and motivational components. Although, no operationalization of the construct has been provided to facilitate research in this area, the purpose of this research was the development and examination of the psychometric properties of a sport-specific measure of absorption that evolved from the use of the modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (MODTAS; Jamieson, 2005) in mainstream psychology. The study aimed to provide evidence of the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the Measure of Absorption in Sport Contexts (MASCs). The psychometric examination included a calibration sample from Scotland and a cross-validation sample from Australia using a cross-sectional design. The item pool was developed based on existing items from the modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (Jamieson, 2005). The MODTAS items were reworded and translated into a sport context. The Scottish sample consisted of 292 participants and the Australian sample of 314 participants. Congeneric model testing and confirmatory factor analysis for both samples and multi-group invariance testing across samples was used. In the cross-validation sample the MASC subscales showed acceptable internal consistency and construct reliability (≥0.70). Excellent fit indices were found for the final 18-item, six-factor measure in the cross-validation sample, = 197.486, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.957; TLI = 0.945; RMSEA = 0.045; SRMR = 0.044. Multi-group invariance testing revealed no differences in item meaning, except for two items. The MASC and the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 showed moderate-to-strong positive correlations in both samples, r = 0.38, p < 0.001 and r = 0.42, p < 0.001, supporting the external validity of the MASC. This article provides initial evidence in support of the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the sport-specific measure of absorption. The MASC provides rich research opportunities in sport psychology that can enhance the theoretical understanding between absorption and related constructs and facilitate future intervention studies.