Absorption, hypnotizability and context: Non-hypnotic contexts are not all the same

We examined the relationship between absorption and hypnotizability when absorption was assessed in two non-hypnotic conditions: In an 'imagination' condition in which we administered the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS) with a number of other questionnaires that assessed imagery and imagination, and in a 'classroom' condition in which we administered the TAS alone at the beginning of a normal tutorial class. We found a significant correlation between absorption and hypnotizability in the imagination condition (r = 0.24), but not in the classroom condition (r = 0.09). In other words, the assessment of absorption in a condition that elicited imaginative responses led to a higher correlation than the assessment of absorption in a condition that did not encourage imagination. This finding is discussed in terms of how different settings influence the expression of the personality characteristic of absorption.