HYPNOSIS AND THE PERCEPTION OF TIME

Ss who were administered the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A of Shor and E. Ome (1962) underestimated the duration of the “hypnotic interval” by 41%. The same Ss underestimated a nonhypnotic interval of the same length by only 14 %. This temporal foreshortening of the hypnotic interval, replicated on several different samples (combined, N = 435) confirms informal observation that people underestimate the length of time they have been hypnotized. Contrary to prediction, however, there was no relation between the amount of underestimation and hypnotic responsiveness. Discussion focused on possible reasons why significant underestimation of the interval was not accompanied by the expected (negative) correlation of hypnotic responsiveness and temporal foreshortening. © 1979, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.