Hypnotic analogues of delusions: The role of delusion proneness and schizotypy

Michael H. Connors*, Peter W. Halligan, Amanda J. Barnier, Robyn Langdon, Rochelle E. Cox, Jocelyn Elliott, Vince Polito, Max Coltheart

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

There is compelling evidence that hypnotic suggestions can be used to model clinical delusions in the laboratory. In two studies, we investigated the role that personality factors, delusion proneness and schizotypy, played in shaping such hypnotic models. In the first study, 398 participants were screened on measures of hypnotisability, delusion proneness, and schizotypy. Hypnotisability correlated with both delusion proneness and the cognitive-perceptual subscale of schizotypy. In the second study, 22 high and 20 low hypnotisable participants were given suggestions to model two content specific delusions: Frégoli (the belief that strangers are actually known people in disguise) and mirrored-self misidentification (the belief that one's reflection in the mirror is a stranger). Whereas high delusion proneness predicted which high hypnotisable participants responded to the suggestion for Frégoli delusion, hypnotisability scores predicted which high hypnotisable participants responded to the suggestion for mirrored-self misidentification. No lows responded to either suggestion. We discuss the implications of these findings for hypnotic models of delusions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)48-53
Number of pages6
JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Volume57
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2014

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