THE IMPACT OF A CONFUSION TECHNIQUE ON HYPNOTIC RESPONSIVITY IN LOW-SUSCEPTIBLE SUBJECTS

The present study investigated the hypothesis that a confusion techniq ue would produce greater hypnotic responsiveness for subjects who resp onded minimally to a standard hypnotic induction. Ten subjects who sco red in the low range of hypnotic susceptibility on the HGSHS:A (scores of 0-4) participated in a confusion induction session. Hypnotic respo nsiveness was measured by several scales: the Harvard Group Scale of H ypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS:A), a Depth Estimate (DE), and the Inven tory Scale of Hypnotic Depth (ISHD). Qualitative data was collected vi a a follow-up interview. Collectively, the results did not support the hypothesis that a confusion technique is more effective than a standa rd induction for low-susceptible subjects. Implications for future res earch will be discussed.