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Brunel J, Mathey S, Delord S. French Norms for a Shortened Online Adaptation of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2024:1-24. [PMID: 38768322 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2024.2346097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Brunel
- Laboratoire de Psychologie (UR 4139), Universite de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Stéphanie Mathey
- Laboratoire de Psychologie (UR 4139), Universite de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Sandrine Delord
- Laboratoire de Psychologie (UR 4139), Universite de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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2
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Di Filippo G, Perri RL. Intimate relationships and hypnosis: insecure adult attachment affects emotions and absorption during hypnosis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1326170. [PMID: 38425553 PMCID: PMC10903537 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1326170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hypnosis research indicates that subjects are not equally hypnotizable. Most studies on hypnotizability focused on the relationships with personality or cognitive variables. At the same time, only a few proposed the contribution of the attachment style, defined as the result of the childhood relationship with the caregivers and influencing the adult relations. Methods In the present investigation, two studies were carried out to test the possible association between adult attachment and hypnotic responsivity. The adult attachment was assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire, while hypnosis was assessed through the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS:A; Study 1) and the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory: Hypnotic Assessment Procedure (PCI-HAP; Study 2) in order to adopt a behavioral and a phenomenological approach, respectively. Results Analyses showed that attachment factors (anxiety and avoidance) were not associated with the level of hypnotizability, whereas it was associated with variations of consciousness during hypnosis, mainly internal dialogue, absorption and negative emotions. Overall, the insecure attachment styles yielded increased mind wandering and restlessness during hypnosis when compared to the secure style. The reason probably lies in the feeling of anxiety or danger of insecurely attached individuals when involved in intimate or confidential relationships. Conclusion These findings clarify a still poorly investigated aspect concerning the influence of attachment style on hypnotic experience and further highlight the need to consider inter-individual differences and the phenomenological perspective when assessing hypnosis and hypnotizability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Di Filippo
- Department of Psychological, Economic and Communication Sciences, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy
| | - Rinaldo Livio Perri
- Department of Psychological, Economic and Communication Sciences, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy
- De Sanctis Clinical Center (CCDS), Rome, Italy
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3
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Obukhov NV, Naish PLN, Solnyshkina IE, Siourdaki TG, Martynov IA. Real-time assessment of hypnotic depth, using an EEG-based brain-computer interface: a preliminary study. BMC Res Notes 2023; 16:288. [PMID: 37875937 PMCID: PMC10599062 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-023-06553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hypnosis can be an effective treatment for many conditions, and there have been attempts to develop instrumental approaches to continuously monitor hypnotic state level ("depth"). However, there is no method that addresses the individual variability of electrophysiological hypnotic correlates. We explore the possibility of using an EEG-based passive brain-computer interface (pBCI) for real-time, individualised estimation of the hypnosis deepening process. RESULTS The wakefulness and deep hypnosis intervals were manually defined and labelled in 27 electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings obtained from eight outpatients after hypnosis sessions. Spectral analysis showed that EEG correlates of deep hypnosis were relatively stable in each patient throughout the treatment but varied between patients. Data from each first session was used to train classification models to continuously assess deep hypnosis probability in subsequent sessions. Models trained using four frequency bands (1.5-45, 1.5-8, 1.5-14, and 4-15 Hz) showed accuracy mostly exceeding 85% in a 10-fold cross-validation. Real-time classification accuracy was also acceptable, so at least one of the four bands yielded results exceeding 74% in any session. The best results averaged across all sessions were obtained using 1.5-14 and 4-15 Hz, with an accuracy of 82%. The revealed issues are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita V Obukhov
- Research Department, The Association of Experts in the Field of Clinical Hypnosis, 40, Kamennoostrovsky Ave., 410, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation.
- Department of Psychotherapy, Academician I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 6-8, L. Tolstoy str, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation.
| | - Peter L N Naish
- Department of Psychology, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Irina E Solnyshkina
- Department of Psychotherapy, Academician I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, 6-8, L. Tolstoy str, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana G Siourdaki
- Research Department, The Association of Experts in the Field of Clinical Hypnosis, 40, Kamennoostrovsky Ave., 410, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation
| | - Ilya A Martynov
- Research Department, The Association of Experts in the Field of Clinical Hypnosis, 40, Kamennoostrovsky Ave., 410, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russian Federation
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Corneille O, Lush P. Sixty Years After Orne's American Psychologist Article: A Conceptual Framework for Subjective Experiences Elicited by Demand Characteristics. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2023; 27:83-101. [PMID: 35801624 DOI: 10.1177/10888683221104368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Study participants form beliefs based on cues present in a testing situation (demand characteristics). These beliefs can alter study outcomes (demand effects). Neglecting demand effects can threaten the internal and external validity of studies (including their replication). While demand characteristics garnered much attention following Orne's introduction of this notion, consideration of their effects has become sparse in experimental reports. Moreover, the concept remains confusing. Here, we introduce a conceptual framework for subjective experiences elicited by demand characteristics. The model distinguishes between participants' awareness of the hypothesis, their motivation to comply with it, and the strategy they use to meet situational requirements. We stress that demand characteristics can give rise to genuine experiences. To illustrate, we apply the model to Evaluative Conditioning and the Rubber Hand Illusion. In the General Discussion, we discuss risks and opportunities associated with demand characteristics, and we explain that they remain highly relevant to current research.
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Abstract
This article presents French norms for the online version of the Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotizability. This scale is an online adaptation of the well-established Waterloo-Stanford Group C Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: with both behavioral and subjective scores. Insofar as hypnotizability (the ability to respond to suggestions in a hypnotic context) varies substantially in the general population and remains generally stable throughout life, it is important to measure it in experiments using hypnotic suggestion. However, these scales are time consuming, as they often require multiple sessions to achieve a suitable sample size for subsequent participant screening. One promising route for overcoming this inconvenience is to perform hypnotizability assessment online. The Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotizability is the first to have demonstrated the viability of online measurement. The authors demonstrate that their translation of this scale yields similar statistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clement Apelian
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France.,ARCHE Formation, Paris, France
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6
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Demand characteristics challenge effects in embodiment and presence. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14084. [PMID: 35982112 PMCID: PMC9387424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18160-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The sensations to own and control a body as well as being located in a body describe the relation between ourselves and our body, termed embodiment. Embodiment plays a central role in our everyday actions. However, its assessment is challenging. Recent findings suggest that measures on embodiment are confounded by demand characteristics and suggestibility. To investigate the impact of demand characteristics on embodiment and presence, we compared results from an online experiment measuring participants’ expectations, to the same experiment in virtual reality (VR). In the online experiment, participants watched a video of a participant performing the VR experiment. In the VR experiment, participants performed a soap-bubble-kicking task, which allowed the feelings of embodiment and presence to arise. We manipulated temporo-spatial movement synchrony (Movement: synchronous, asynchronous) and avatar visibility (Visibility: visible, invisible). In addition, we assessed participants’ suggestibility with exercises. The introduced manipulations influenced the ratings in both experiments similarly. Embodiment ratings were additionally affected by suggestibility. Altogether, our results show that participants were aware of the research hypotheses, which indicates that demand characteristics confound embodiment and presence research alike. Overcoming challenges of demand characteristics is crucial to correctly interpret scientific results and to translate these results into applied settings.
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7
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Sciortino P, Kayser C. The rubber hand illusion is accompanied by a distributed reduction of alpha and beta power in the EEG. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271659. [PMID: 35905100 PMCID: PMC9337658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported correlates of bodily self-illusions such as the rubber hand in signatures of rhythmic brain activity. However, individual studies focused on specific variations of the rubber hand paradigm, used different experimental setups to induce this, or used different control conditions to isolate the neurophysiological signatures related to the illusory state, leaving the specificity of the reported illusion-signatures unclear. We here quantified correlates of the rubber hand illusion in EEG-derived oscillatory brain activity and asked two questions: which of the observed correlates are robust to the precise nature of the control conditions used as contrast for the illusory state, and whether such correlates emerge directly around the subjective illusion onset. To address these questions, we relied on two experimental configurations to induce the illusion, on different non-illusion conditions to isolate neurophysiological signatures of the illusory state, and we implemented an analysis directly focusing on the immediate moment of the illusion onset. Our results reveal a widespread suppression of alpha and beta-band activity associated with the illusory state in general, whereby the reduction of beta power prevailed around the immediate illusion onset. These results confirm previous reports of a suppression of alpha and beta rhythms during body illusions, but also highlight the difficulties to directly pinpoint the precise neurophysiological correlates of the illusory state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Placido Sciortino
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Christoph Kayser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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8
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Slater M, Ehrsson HH. Multisensory Integration Dominates Hypnotisability and Expectations in the Rubber Hand Illusion. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:834492. [PMID: 35782045 PMCID: PMC9244625 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.834492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Some recent papers by P. Lush and colleagues have argued that the rubber hand illusion (RHI), where participants can feel a rubber hand as their own under appropriate multisensory stimulation, may be caused mainly by hypnotic suggestibility and expectations (demand characteristics). These papers rely primarily on a study with 353 participants who took part in a RHI experiment carried out in a classical way with brush stroking. Participants experienced a synchronous condition where the rubber hand was seen to be touched in synchrony with touch felt on their corresponding hidden real hand, or the touches were applied asynchronously as a control. Each participant had a related measure of their hypnotisability on a scale known as the Sussex-Waterloo Scale of Hypnotisability (SWASH). The authors found a correlation between the questionnaire ratings of the RHI in the synchronous condition and the SWASH score. From this, they concluded that the RHI is largely driven by suggestibility and further proposed that suggestibility and expectations may even entirely explain the RHI. Here we examine their claims in a series of extensive new analyses of their data. We find that at every level of SWASH, the synchronous stimulation results in greater levels of the illusion than the asynchronous condition; moreover, proprioceptive drift is greater in the synchronous case at every level of SWASH. Thus, while the level of hypnotisability does modestly influence the subjective reports (higher SWASH is associated with somewhat higher illusion ratings), the major difference between the synchronous and asynchronous stimulation is always present. Furthermore, by including in the model the participants' expectancy ratings of how strongly they initially believed they would experience the RHI in the two conditions, we show that expectations had a very small effect on the illusion ratings; model comparisons further demonstrate that the multisensory condition is two-to-three-times as dominant as the other factors, with hypnotisability contributing modestly and expectations negligibly. Thus, although the results indicate that trait suggestibility may modulate the RHI, presumably through intersubject variations in top-down factors, the findings also suggest that the primary explanation for the RHI is as a multisensory bodily illusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mel Slater
- Event Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - H. Henrik Ehrsson
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Hsu TY, Zhou JF, Yeh SL, Northoff G, Lane TJ. Intrinsic neural activity predisposes susceptibility to a body illusion. Cereb Cortex Commun 2022; 3:tgac012. [PMID: 35382092 PMCID: PMC8976633 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion (RHI) varies. To date, however, there is no consensus explanation of this variability. Previous studies, focused on the role of multisensory integration, have searched for neural correlates of the illusion. But those studies have failed to identify a sufficient set of functionally specific neural correlates. Because some evidence suggests that frontal α power is one means of tracking neural instantiations of self, we hypothesized that the higher the frontal α power during the eyes-closed resting state, the more stable the self. As a corollary, we infer that the more stable the self, the less susceptible are participants to a blurring of boundaries—to feeling that the rubber hand belongs to them. Indeed, we found that frontal α amplitude oscillations negatively correlate with susceptibility. Moreover, since lower frequencies often modulate higher frequencies, we explored the possibility that this might be the case for the RHI. Indeed, some evidence suggests that high frontal α power observed in low-RHI participants is modulated by δ frequency oscillations. We conclude that while neural correlates of multisensory integration might be necessary for the RHI, sufficient explanation involves variable intrinsic neural activity that modulates how the brain responds to incompatible sensory stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Yu Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Ji-Fan Zhou
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hang Zhou, China
| | - Su-Ling Yeh
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Robotics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Georg Northoff
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Timothy Joseph Lane
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, TMU Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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10
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Palfi B, Parris BA, Collins AF, Dienes Z. Strategies that reduce Stroop interference. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:202136. [PMID: 35251674 PMCID: PMC8892271 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A remarkable example of reducing Stroop interference is provided by the word blindness post-hypnotic suggestion (a suggestion to see words as meaningless during the Stroop task). This suggestion has been repeatedly demonstrated to halve Stroop interference when it is given to highly hypnotizable people. In order to explore how highly hypnotizable individuals manage to reduce Stroop interference when they respond to the word blindness suggestion, we tested four candidate strategies in two experiments outside of the hypnotic context. A strategy of looking away from the target words and a strategy of visual blurring demonstrated compelling evidence for substantially reducing Stroop interference in both experiments. However, the pattern of results produced by these strategies did not match those of the word blindness suggestion. Crucially, neither looking away nor visual blurring managed to speed up incongruent responses, suggesting that neither of these strategies is the likely underlying mechanism of the word blindness suggestion. Although the current results did not unravel the mystery of the word blindness suggestion, they showed that there are multiple voluntary ways through which participants can dramatically reduce Stroop interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Palfi
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Pevensey Building 1, North South Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9QH, UK
| | - B. A. Parris
- Department of Psychology, University of Bournemouth, Poole, UK
| | - A. F. Collins
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Z. Dienes
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Pevensey Building 1, North South Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 9QH, UK
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11
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Lush P, Seth AK, Dienes Z. Hypothesis awareness confounds asynchronous control conditions in indirect measures of the rubber hand illusion. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210911. [PMID: 34737876 PMCID: PMC8564603 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Reports of changes in experiences of body location and ownership following synchronous tactile and visual stimulation of fake and real hands (rubber hand (RH) effects) are widely attributed to multisensory integration mechanisms. However, existing control methods for subjective report measures (asynchronous stroking and control statements) are confounded by participant hypothesis awareness; the report may reflect response to demand characteristics. Subjective report is often accompanied by indirect (also called 'objective' or 'implicit') measures. Here, we report tests of expectancies for synchronous 'illusion' and asynchronous 'control' conditions across two pre-registered studies (n = 140 and n = 45) for two indirect measures: proprioceptive drift (a change in perceived hand location) and skin conductance response (a measure of physiological arousal). Expectancies for synchronous condition measures were greater than for asynchronous conditions in both studies. Differences between synchronous and asynchronous control condition measures are therefore confounded by hypothesis awareness. This means indirect measures of RH effects may reflect compliance, bias and phenomenological control in response to demand characteristics, just as for subjective measures. Valid control measures are required to support claims of a role of multisensory integration for both direct and indirect measures of RH effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Lush
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Chichester Building, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - A. K. Seth
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Chichester Building, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Z. Dienes
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Sussex, Pevensey Building, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
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12
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Abstract
The most well-established finding gleaned from decades of experimental hypnosis research is that individuals display marked variability in responsiveness to hypnotic suggestions. Insofar as this variability impacts both treatment outcome in therapeutic applications of hypnosis as well as responsiveness to suggestions in experimental contexts, it is imperative that clinicians and researchers use robust measures of hypnotic suggestibility. The current paper critically evaluates contemporary measures of hypnotic suggestibility. After reviewing the most widely used measures, we identify multiple properties of these instruments that result in the loss of valuable information, including binary scoring and single-trial sampling, and hinder their utility, such as the inclusion of suboptimal suggestion content. The scales are not well-suited for contemporary research questions and have outlived their usefulness. We conclude by outlining ways in which the measurement of hypnotic suggestibility can be advanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Acunzo
- CIMeC-Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento , Italy
| | - Devin B Terhune
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London , UK
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13
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Lush P, Botan V, Scott RB, Seth AK, Ward J, Dienes Z. Trait phenomenological control predicts experience of mirror synaesthesia and the rubber hand illusion. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4853. [PMID: 32978377 PMCID: PMC7519080 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18591-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In hypnotic responding, expectancies arising from imaginative suggestion drive striking experiential changes (e.g., hallucinations) - which are experienced as involuntary - according to a normally distributed and stable trait ability (hypnotisability). Such experiences can be triggered by implicit suggestion and occur outside the hypnotic context. In large sample studies (of 156, 404 and 353 participants), we report substantial relationships between hypnotisability and experimental measures of experiential change in mirror-sensory synaesthesia and the rubber hand illusion comparable to relationships between hypnotisability and individual hypnosis scale items. The control of phenomenology to meet expectancies arising from perceived task requirements can account for experiential change in psychological experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Lush
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK.
- Department of Informatics, Chichester Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK.
| | - V Botan
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- School of Psychology, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - R B Scott
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- School of Psychology, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - A K Seth
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- Department of Informatics, Chichester Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - J Ward
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- School of Psychology, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Z Dienes
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
- School of Psychology, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RH, UK
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14
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Palfi B, Moga G, Lush P, Scott RB, Dienes Z. Can hypnotic suggestibility be measured online? PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 84:1460-1471. [PMID: 30834966 PMCID: PMC7270050 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01162-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Hypnosis and hypnotic suggestions are gradually gaining popularity within the consciousness community as established tools for the experimental manipulation of illusions of involuntariness, hallucinations and delusions. However, hypnosis is still far from being a widespread instrument; a crucial hindrance to taking it up is the amount of time needed to invest in identifying people high and low in responsiveness to suggestion. In this study, we introduced an online assessment of hypnotic response and estimated the extent to which the scores and psychometric properties of an online screening differ from an offline one. We propose that the online screening of hypnotic response is viable as it reduces the level of responsiveness only by a slight extent. The application of online screening may prompt researchers to run large-scale studies with more heterogeneous samples, which would help researchers to overcome some of the issues underlying the current replication crisis in psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Palfi
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
| | - G Moga
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - P Lush
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- School of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - R B Scott
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Z Dienes
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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15
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Abstract
Reports of experiences of ownership over a fake hand following simple multisensory stimulation (the ‘rubber hand illusion’) have generated an expansive literature. Because such reports might reflect suggestion effects, demand characteristics are routinely controlled for by contrasting agreement ratings for ‘illusion’ and ‘control’ conditions. However, these methods have never been validated, and recent evidence that response to imaginative suggestion (‘phenomenological control’) predicts illusion report prompts reconsideration of their efficacy. A crucial assumption of the standard approach is that demand characteristics are matched across conditions. Here, a quasi-experiment design was employed to test demand characteristics in rubber hand illusion reports. Participants were provided with information about the rubber hand illusion procedure (text description and video demonstration) and recorded expectancies for standard ‘illusion’ and ‘control’ statements. Expectancies for ‘control’ and ‘illusion’ statements in synchronous and asynchronous conditions were found to differ similarly to published illusion reports. Therefore, rubber hand illusion control methods which have been in use for 22 years are not fit for purpose. Because demand characteristics have not been controlled in illusion report in existing studies, the illusion may be, partially or entirely, a suggestion effect. Methods to develop robust controls are proposed. That confounding demand characteristics have been overlooked for decades may be attributable to a lack of awareness that demand characteristics can drive experience in psychological science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Lush
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
- School of Informatics, Chichester Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
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16
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Lush P, Dienes Z. Time perception and the experience of agency in meditation and hypnosis. Psych J 2019; 8:36-50. [PMID: 30912626 PMCID: PMC6849514 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation and hypnosis are related in opposing ways to awareness of intentions. The cold control theory of hypnosis proposes that hypnotic responding involves the experience of involuntariness while performing an actually intentional action. Hypnosis therefore relies upon inaccurate metacognition about intentional actions and experiences. Mindfulness meditation centrally involves awareness of intentions and is associated with improved metacognitive access to intentions. Therefore, mindfulness meditators and highly hypnotizable people may lie at opposite ends of a spectrum with regard to metacognitive access to intention‐related information. Here we review the theoretical background and evidence for differences in the metacognition of intentions in these groups, as revealed by chronometric measures of the awareness of voluntary action: the timing of an intention to move (Libet's “W” judgments) and the compressed perception of time between an intentional action and its outcome (“intentional binding”). We review these measures and critically evaluate their proposed connection to the experience of volition and sense of agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Lush
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK.,School of Informatics, Chichester Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - Zoltan Dienes
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK.,School of Psychology, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
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17
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Trujillo-Rodríguez D, Faymonville ME, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Demertzi A. Hypnosis for cingulate-mediated analgesia and disease treatment. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2019; 166:327-339. [PMID: 31731920 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64196-0.00018-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hypnosis is a technique that induces changes in perceptual experience through response to specific suggestions. By means of functional neuroimaging, a large body of clinical and experimental studies has shown that hypnotic processes modify internal (self-awareness) as well as external (environmental awareness) brain networks. Objective quantifications of this kind permit the characterization of cerebral changes after hypnotic induction and its uses in the clinical setting. Hypnosedation is one such application, as it combines hypnosis with local anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery. The power of this technique lies in the avoidance of general anesthesia and its potential complications that emerge during and after surgery. Hypnosedation is associated with improved intraoperative comfort and reduced perioperative anxiety and pain. It ensures a faster recovery of the patient and diminishes the intraoperative requirements for sedative or analgesic drugs. Mechanisms underlying the modulation of pain perception under hypnotic conditions involve cortical and subcortical areas, mainly the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices as well as the basal ganglia and thalami. In that respect, hypnosis-induced analgesia is an effective and highly cost-effective alternative to sedation during surgery and symptom management.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Trujillo-Rodríguez
- Physiology of Cognition Research Lab, GIGA-Consciousness, GIGA Institute B34, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - M-E Faymonville
- Algology Department, Liège University Hospital and Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - A Vanhaudenhuyse
- Algology Department, Liège University Hospital and Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA-Consciousness, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - A Demertzi
- Physiology of Cognition Research Lab, GIGA-Consciousness, GIGA Institute B34, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Brussels, Belgium
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