Previous studies have produced mixed results on whether hypnotic responsiveness is associated with measures of general intelligence or academic ability. We administered a standardized assessment of hypnotizability to undergraduate students (N=221) by means of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A; Shor & Orne, 1962), along with additional measures that commonly correlate with hypnotizability (e.g., absorption; expectancy of being a good hypnotic subject). Students granted permission for us to obtain their scores on the American College Testing (ACT) exam, a standardized measure of college preparedness, along with other markers of academic success and choice of major. Our main finding was that ACT scores negatively correlated with behavioral responses during hypnosis. Subjective reports of involuntariness during hypnosis similarly correlated with ACT scores. Results from a regression analysis showed that scores on the ACT predicted hypnotizability above and beyond students’ expectation of responsiveness. This report updates and expands our previous work associating standardized test scores and hypnotizability.

Authors:
Joseph Green, The Ohio State University, United States
Victoria Bradford, The Ohio State University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Joseph Green is a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, Lima, located in west central Ohio, USA.

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