title: Direct and indirect scales of hypnotic susceptibility: resistance to therapy and psychometric comparability.
abstract: Groups of participants were randomly assigned to receive either direct hypnotic procedure using the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: Form A (HGSHS:A) or its indirect counterpart, the Alman-Wexler Indirect Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale (AWIHSS). Prior to hypnosis, participants completed the Inventory of Childhood Memories and Imaginings (a measure of fantasy proneness) and the Therapeutic Reactance Scale (TRS, a measure of resistance to therapeutic directives). The Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory was completed in reference to a 2-minute sitting-quietly period embedded in the hypnotic procedure. Although results generally suggest that the two scales are alternate measures of hypnotizability, some differences were observed: (a) item difficulty levels differed on 4 of the 12 items; (b) subjects reported greater altered awareness with the direct method; and (c) contrary to the results of previous research, the more resistant subjects showed a tendency toward higher hypnotizability scores with the HGSHS:A, while the less resistant subjects responded better with the AWIHSS.
authors: Department of Psychology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, 19383, USA.
authors: Betsey R
authors: BR
authors: Robin
authors: V K
authors: VK
authors: Kumar
authors: Ronald J
authors: RJ
authors: Pekala
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D013404:Suggestion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires