Effects of different types of preparatory information on attitudes toward hypnosis

Abstract This paper examines how attitudes of initially reluctant subjects towards hypnosis are influenced by three different approaches to introducing the topic. Participants (N = 90) were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: minimal information, cognitive‐behavioural information and trance information. All three groups showed positive changes in attitudes toward hypnosis. Contrary to our expectations, positive attitudinal changes were not diminished for subjects exposed to trance information. Groups given trance and cognitive‐behavioural explanations demonstrated significantly greater collaboration compared to the control group. No differences in hypnotic suggestibility were obtained. Copyright © 2005 British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis