Hungarian norms for the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A

The Effectiveness of Hypnoanalgesia Using Conventional and Placebo Hypnosis Induction

The effectiveness of hypnosis-based pain management is well-established. However, mechanisms of action and specific effective components are not well understood. The sociocognitive theory of hypnosis proposes that the effectiveness of hypnosis for pain management is determined by the nonspecific features of response expectancy and context. We tested this claim by contrasting the effectiveness of 2 hypnoanalgesia procedures in a within subjects design using the cold pressor task. The 2 procedures were identical, including analgesic suggestions, except for the hypnosis induction used. One condition involved a well-established hypnosis induction, including suggestions for focused attention, relaxation, and deepening. The other condition included a sham induction procedure using only white noise. In our confirmatory analysis (N = 46), we found that pain tolerance increased compared to baseline equivalently in the conventional and sham induction conditions (mean increase 13.7 and 12.4 seconds respectively, average within subject difference -1.27 seconds, 90% confidence interval [CI] = -8.46, 5.90). This finding supports the claim of the sociocognitive theory considering that response expectancy for pain reduction was also equivalent between the conditions (average difference 2.30, 90% CI = -2.23, 6.84). However, self-reported hypnosis depth was greater in the conventional induction condition (average difference -.78, 90% CI: -1.36, -.07), which contradicts sociocognitive predictions. Our findings indicate that conventional procedural elements of hypnosis inductions, such as suggestions for focused attention, relaxation, and deepening, may not be necessary to achieve acute pain reduction in an experimental setting when the hypnosis intervention includes analgesic suggestions. PERSPECTIVE: This study assessed the necessary effective components of hypnosis-based analgesia interventions. Our findings suggest that procedural features such as suggestions for focused attention, relaxation, and deepening may not be necessary for hypnoanalgesia as long as pain relief suggestions are present, and the hypnosis context and response expectancy are established. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered on Open Science Framework with the registry number e96xk, available at https://osf.io/e96xk.

French Norms for a Shortened Online Adaptation of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A

This study presents the norms and psychometric properties for a shortened online adaptation of a French version of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A). Assessment of involuntariness and subjective intensity was added to the traditional scoring. A total of 373 individuals completed an online hypnotizability screening test on their own computer. Participants received the HGSHS:A script through an audio recording lasting about 30 minutes. The results showed that the item difficulty and reliability of the short online HGSHS:A were consistent with the offline version of the scale and with the reference samples. Involuntariness and subjective intensity corrections improved significantly the accuracy in the measurement of the scale and helped to dissociate between different phenomenologies in hypnotic responding. These findings indicate that the short online HGSHS:A is a reliable tool for measuring hypnotizability. Moreover, we suggest that using complementary measures of involuntariness and subjective intensity helps to shed more light on hypnotizability as part of a multi-componential approach to hypnotic response.

Altered States of Consciousness during Exercise, Active-Alert Hypnosis, and Everyday Waking State

This retrospective study was a nonrandomized comparison of exercisers' (runners and participants of a spinning class) states of consciousness with subjects of active-alert hypnosis (AAH) and students in a class (control). Three hundred and seventy-five participants completed the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI). Runners, spinners, and participants of AAH scored higher on the altered experience and altered state of awareness dimensions of the PCI than the control group. Runners scored higher than participants of AAH and the control condition on the rationality dimension, and spinners scored higher than participants in the AAH condition. The AAH group scored lowest on the self-awareness dimension. On the volitional control dimension, the spinning and control groups scored significantly higher than the runner and AAH groups. The results suggest that exercise may lead to states of consciousness similar to AAH and thus increase responsiveness to a coach's training suggestions.

Hypnotizability Norms may not be Representative of the General Population: Potential Sample and Self-Selection Bias Considerations

The analysis of the methods sections of 66 normalization tests of hypnotizability scales reveals that out of 33,338 subjects, 58.57% were college and university students, and the majority of these were students of psychology. Of all subjects, 7.45% were younger school children, 27.63% were patients treated with hypnosis, and out of these, 85.26% were patients of 1 single therapist. Only 0.51% were trainees of dental or nursing schools, 0.13% were prisoners, and 5.71% were other adults. These figures suggest a sample-selection bias. As 83.08% of these subjects were told beforehand that they were to undergo a hypnosis study, a self-selection bias is also implied in the data. It can be presumed that those interested in hypnosis participated, whereas others who had no interest in hypnosis may have refrained. It is concluded that some of the published norms of hypnotizability tests may not be adequately representative of the general population. Many hypnosis studies, whether clinical or experimental, which are based on hypnotizability, may be afflicted by these biases.

German Norms of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A) and Proposal of a 5-Item Short-Version (HGSHS-5:G)

The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A), is commonly used to test hypnotizability. There is still some controversy about what exactly hypnotizability is and whether and how it can be measured, especially by the HGSHS:A. Furthermore, a wider clinical use is limited, requiring a testing time of more than 1 hour. We analyzed the German HGSHS:A version for its factorial structure, item contribution, and item difficulty based on test data from six studies, including 1276 persons, to propose a shorter version of the HGSHS:A. We hereby present a 5-item version of the HGSHS:A (HGSHS-5:G), consisting of the challenge items, that was compared with an 11-item version (highly variable posthypnotic amnesia omitted). Age- and gender-specific norms was generated. The HGSHS-5: G showed high validity, reliability, and classification agreement. It reduces test time to 30 minutes thus facilitating wider use of hypnotizability testing.

Phenomenological Experiences during Active-Alert Hypnosis: Comparison of Hypnotist and Subject

There has been increasing clinical interest in active-alert hypnosis (AAH). However, relatively few studies have been devoted to studying its properties systematically. The present study compared the subjective experiences of subjects (31) and hypnotists (5) during AAH, using Pekala's Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI), the Dyadic Interactional Harmony (DIH) scale and the Archaic Involvement Measure (AIM). Results demonstrated similarities between the experiences of subjects and hypnotists. The only significant difference between the subjects' and the hypnotists' experiences was shown by the PCI, which highlighted the differences stemming from the different roles of hypnotist and subject during the AAH. The study suggests it may be important to examine subjective descriptors in the exploration of personal experiences in studies of AAH.

UNITED KINGDOM NORMS FOR THE HARVARD GROUP SCALE OF HYPNOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY, FORM A

The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A), is widely used as a measure of suggestibility to screen participants for research purposes. To date, there have been a number of normative studies of the HGSHS:A, the majority of which originate from Western countries. The outcomes of these Western studies are summarized, and variations in methodologies are described and discussed. Also reported are the psychometric properties of the HGSHS:A in a large contemporary United Kingdom (UK) sample. Overall, these UK results are consistent with the earlier Western norms studies in terms of response distribution and item difficulty, with only minor differences. The continued use of HGSHS:A as a screening procedure is supported, particularly if corrected for response subjectivity/involuntariness and with revised amnesia scoring. The HGSHS:A is also important as a potential measure of the broader trait of direct verbal suggestibility.

TAIWANESE NORMS FOR THE HARVARD GROUP SCALE OF HYPNOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY, FORM A

Hypnotic susceptibility is a fundamental individual characteristic to consider in studies examining hypnosis. Although there is no existing normative data of group hypnotic susceptibility tests for the Mandarin-speaking Chinese population, the current study administered the Mandarin Chinese translation of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A) to 242 subjects (137 females and 105 males). The results indicate that the normative properties-including the score distribution, item pass rates, and reliability-are comparable to 15 reference samples. In general, the Mandarin Chinese version of the HGSHS:A can be used as a viable and reliable instrument for prescreening subjects' hypnotizability in the Mandarin Chinese-speaking population in Taiwan.

RECALLED PARENTAL REARING STYLE AND DIMENSIONS OF HYPNOTIC RESPONSE

So far, only a few studies have investigated how memories of parental rearing style are associated with hypnotic response, and these were either qualitative or confined to the behavioral aspect of hypnotizability. The present study aims to employ standardized, quantitative measures to investigate the associations between recalled parental rearing style and the behavioral, phenomenological, and emotional dimensions of hypnotic response. Two samples of healthy adult subjects (N = 438) completed a questionnaire on their parents' behavior and participated in a standard group hypnosis session in which their hypnotizability score, hypnotic experiences, and archaic involvement were assessed. Memories of cold and punishing parental behavior were associated with negative experiences related to the hypnotic state and negative emotions toward the hypnotist. The authors conclude that assessing parental behavior may be important in planning hypnotherapeutic interventions.

BILATERAL ELECTRODERMAL ACTIVITY IN THE ACTIVE-ALERT HYPNOTIC INDUCTION

Shifts in hemispheric dominance were previously proposed to play a role in hypnosis. Participants (N = 32) were exposed to an active-alert hypnosis induction and a music-control condition while electrodermal activity was registered bilaterally, providing information on alterations in hemispheric dominance. The results suggest that highly hypnotizable participants show a shift to right-sided and low hypnotizable participants demonstrated a shift to left-sided electrodermal dominance in response to the induction, whereas no change in laterality is present in the control condition. Additionally, the authors found that self-reported hypnosis experiences were also associated with a shift in laterality. These results underline the importance of the shift to right hemispheric activity in hypnosis and underscore the importance of hemispheric changes in shaping subjective experience.

Changes in the sense of agency during hypnosis: The Hungarian version of the Sense of Agency Rating Scale (SOARS-HU) and its relationship with phenomenological aspects of consciousness

Changes in the sense of agency are defining feature of hypnosis. The Sense of Agency Rating Scale (SOARS) is a 10-item questionnaire, administered after a hypnosis session to assess alteration in the sense of agency. In the present study, a Hungarian version of the measure (SOARS-HU) is presented. The SOARS-HU and the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) were administered to 197 subjects following hypnotizability screening with the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form A (HGSHS:A). Confirmatory factor analysis and correlations with hypnotizability demonstrate the reliability and validity of the SOARS-HU. Changes in the Involuntariness and Effortlessness subscales of the SOARS-HU were associated with alterations in subjective conscious experience, as measured by the PCI. These changes in subjective experience remained significant after controlling for HGSHS:A scores. These results indicate that changes in the sense of agency during hypnosis are associated with alterations of consciousness that are independent of hypnotizability.