6533b86efe1ef96bd12cba8c

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Change of attitudes toward hypnosis: Effects of cognitive-behavioural and trance explanations in a setting of hetero-hypnosis.

subject

description

This paper deals with the effects on attitudes toward hypnosis when it is introduced in three different ways to people who explicitly indicated that they did not want to be hypnotised. One hundred and ten participants (university students) were assigned to three experimental conditions, namely: minimum information control group, trance group, and cognitive-behavioural group. After hypnosis was introduced, those participants who agreed to continue were hypnotised and their suggestibility levels were assessed. The results revealed that trance explanation produces an attitudinal change, since a very high percentage of participants dropped out of the study. Cognitive-behavioural explanation decreased the misconceptions that hypnosis makes people lose control over themselves and remains in the hands of the hypnotist. Thus, this explanation reduces the gullibility, the participant"s fear of being hypnotised, and changes the initial opposition to allow someone to hypnotise him/her. The trance explanation only proves to be superior by increasing the participants" interest in hypnosis. No differences between the three groups were found with respect to hypnotic suggestibility.