A New Way of Characterizing Hypnotic Interactions: Dyadic Interactional Harmony (DIH) Questionnaire

The MSCH Editorial Team
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Authors Katalin Varga, Emese Józsa, Éva I. Bányai, Anna C. Gősi-Greguss

Affiliations

Center for Affective Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

PMID: N/A (Source ID) DOI: 10.1002/ch.320

Abstract

Background Interactional theories of hypnosis conceptualize hypnosis as a social encounter, emphasizing the importance of 'rapport'. However, most studies neglect the subjective involvement of the hypnotist. This study aims to validate a new paper-and-pencil test, the Dyadic Interactional Harmony (DIH) questionnaire, designed to characterize the degree and pattern of harmony between interacting participants.

Methods Data from two samples of standardized experimental hypnosis sessions (E1 and E2) were analyzed. In E1, 232 subjects were hypnotized using the standard protocol of SHSS:A; in E2, 110 subjects participated in group sessions of WSGC. Various well-established measures of hypnosis (e.g., hypnotic susceptibility, Archaic Involvement Measure [AIM], Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory [PCI]) served as validating criteria for the four subscales of the DIH: (1) Intimacy, (2) Communion, (3) Playfulness, and (4) Tension.

Results The DIH subscales measured the way participants emotionally evaluated their session and the hypnotic relationship, with Intimacy having the highest explanatory value. The hypnotizability of the subjects only moderately correlated with DIH subscales. Characteristic differences were found regarding the pattern of relationship between the DIH subscales and the state effects of hypnosis between the hypnotists and subjects. Specifically, individual sessions (E1) yielded higher scores on DIH subscales than group sessions (E2), particularly on the 'Communion' scale.

Conclusions The DIH values are closest to that of the AIM Archaic Involvement measure (especially in cases of hypnotists) but seem to be independent from most of the phenomenological aspects of the hypnotic trance (especially in cases of subjects). The DIH is a promising measure with which to tap the interactional aspects of the hypnotic relationship.

Keywords archaic involvement, hypnotic interaction, phenomenology, rapport.