Is hypnotic suggestibility a stable trait?

The present study examined the trait-like nature of hypnotic suggestibility by examining the stability of hypnotic responsiveness in a test-retest design in which the procedures were administered either live or by audiotape. Contrary to the idea that hypnotizability is a largely immutable, stable trait, scores on the scale of hypnotic responsiveness decreased significantly at the second session. Measures of subjective experiences and expectancies accounted for a sizable portion of the variance in hypnotic responding, both at initial test and at retest.

An evaluation of Woodard's theory of perceptually oriented hypnosis.

This article evaluates Woodard's theory of Perceptually Oriented Hypnosis, a welcome addition to theories of hypnosis that emphasize the centrality of subjective experiences in understanding and studying hypnosis. With a focus on subjective experience. Woodard's account of perceptually oriented hypnosis is based on elements of humanistic, client-centered, and perceptual psychology.