Perry London

Eypnosis in children: An experimental approach

Abstract Based on the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, the Childrens Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, a standardized induction procedure for children five years and older, WM developed. Interscorer reliability ranged from +.90 to +.96, and retest reliability was found to be +.92. Two scoring systems are simultaneously employed, one measuring overt behurrior, the other allegedly measuring subjective involvement. Comparing children to college atudents on items, children were found significantly more susceptible. A linear relationship was found between age and simulation ability (r = +.67). The author speculates that a suspected curvilinear relationship of age and susceptibility may be a function of the confounding of differential simulation ability and motivation with hypnotic behavior. Further studies are suggested.

A MODIFICATION OF THE F SCALE OF THE MMPI

Of the 64 items of the MMPI F scale, 41 were rewritten by three judges with a view toward reducing item ambiguity and reading difficulty. Scores on the revised (F′) scale were significantly higher than those on the original scale (F) in a total of 198 Ss from several colleges and a professional group. The test-retest reliability of the F′ scale was 88, whereas that of the F was .77. We feel that the revision of the scale may perhaps increase its reliability by reducing the communality of several items through an increase of the social desirability of deviant responses.