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A comparison of the hypnotic experience between signing deaf and hearing subjects
Abstract
Hypnosis has traditionally been a therapeutic tool for hearing clients. This has not been true for deaf people. Though it has long been accepted that hypnotic response can occur with eyes open focused on visual stimuli, few have considered this technique a viable tool to be used with clients who cannot hear. The purpose of this study was to compare the hypnotic susceptibility of deaf and hearing as well as male and female subjects. This comparison focused on the responses of subjects to hypnotic suggestions presented through visual rather than auditory receptors. It was hypothesized that male and female, deaf and hearing subjects would show no significant difference in hypnotic susceptibility. A multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted on five dependent measures used in this study. These were the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale Form C, (SHSS:C) (Weitzenhoffer and Hilgard 1962), subjects' self-report of hypnotic performance and overall trance depth, and a rapport and resistance scale measuring attitudes of subjects toward the hypnotist. A chi square item analysis of the SHSS:C comparing overall responses of the original SHSS:C norming population and the total signing group sample was completed. As predicted, results of the study failed to find any statistically significant main effects or interactions between deaf or hearing subjects on any of the dependent measures. There were also no statistically significant main effects or interactions between male and female subjects on all but one measure, self-report of trance depth. Males were found to report feeling less in trance than did female subjects. Results of the Chi square SHSS:C item analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in overall ideomotor responses between the SHSS:C norming population and the total signing. However the total signing group tended to positively respond significantly more often to three cognitive distortion/fantasy suggestions i.e., Dream, Anosmia to ammonia and Amnesia, than did the SHSS:C norming population. This may be due to the visual imaging abilities of people who sign. It is concluded that deaf subjects with regard to gender do not differ in hypnotic susceptibility from hearing subjects. It is also concluded that those who receive hypnotic induction and suggestions through sign-language demonstrate equal and at times greater susceptibility.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
Isenberg, Gail L, "A comparison of the hypnotic experience between signing deaf and hearing subjects" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329631.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329631