TOWARD A THEORY OF HYPNOTIC BEHAVIOR: EFFECTS ON SUGGESTIBILITY OF TASK MOTIVATING INSTRUCTIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD HYPNOSIS.

Attitudes toward hypnosis were assessed in 75 college students. 3 weeks later the students were required to participate in an experiment in which they were tested individually on the Barber Suggestibility Scale. The scale was administered under 3 experimental treatments with 25 Ss, 1/2 with positive attitudes toward hypnosis and 1/2 with nonpositive attitudes, assigned randomly to each treatment. The treatments were: Task Motivating Instructions, Hypnotic Induction Procedure, Direct Suggestions (Control). The findings confirmed Hypotheses 1 and 2 which stated: (1) Ss given either brief task motivating instructions or a procedure of the type traditionally termed a hypnotic induction show greater response to suggestions than Ss given neither task motivating instructions nor a hypnotic induction; and (2) brief task motivating instructions and an extended hypnotic induction procedure both elicit high levels of suggestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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