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Algorithms, Advice, and Intentions
No full textA registration for a simple 2-group political scenario
Lock therapy for the prevention and treatment of on long-term central venous catheter catheter-related bloodstream infection: an integrative review
No full textThis is an integrative literature review that aims to synthesize the knowledge about lock therapy for the prevention and treatment of long-term central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection in hospitalized adult patients
Influence of a rhythmic context on the foreperiod effect: A behavioral and eye-tracker approach
No full textInfluence of a rhythmic context on the foreperiod effect: A behavioral and eye-tracker approach
Rafael Román-Caballero, Elisa Martín-Arévalo, and Juan Lupiáñez
Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain; and Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Introduction
Attention fluctuates over time. In the long-term, it seems to wax and wane throughout the day concerning the sleep-wake cycle (Oken et al., 2006) and, when exercised in a sustained way, it is usual to observe a decrease in performance (i.e., vigilance decrement; Luna et al., 2018; Thomson et al., 2015). Several theories (Jones, 1976; Large & Jones, 1999; Fiebelkorn & Kastner, 2019) extend this idea and propose that attention acts as an oscillatory system that alternate, following an intrinsic period (1–4 Hz), between moments of enhanced perceptual sensitivity with instants of attentional disengagement. Moreover, fluctuations of attention can be synchronized with rhythmic environmental stimuli through entrainment (Dynamic Attending Theory, DAT; Jones, 1976). In particular, the regularity of the external rhythm is a key factor in the degree of attentional coupling. Periodic sequences of stimuli promote a tight phase coupling and allow the perceiver to anticipate the nature (e.g., modality, quality) and precise timing of a future event (Henry & Herrman, 2014). Therefore, the presence of a rhythmic context can benefit the perceptual discrimination and response preparation for stimuli occurring in phase with the rhythm (Henry & Herrman, 2014). On the other hand, the DAT proposes that the attentional oscillation is self-sustained, that is, the oscillator decays back to its intrinsic period when the external rhythm disappears. However, evidence about the lasting effect of entrainment is still scarce. A recent study (Trapp et al., 2020) suggests that the benefits of a rhythmic background can remain some minutes after it discontinues.
One example of the impact of rhythmic contexts on perceptual performance can be found in Chang et al. (2019). They presented deviants tones (higher or lower in pitch) embedded in rhythmic (isochronous) or arrhythmic (non-isochronous) sequences of standard tones (500 Hz). Pitch deviations (500 ± Δ Hz) were near to the higher and lower discrimination thresholds. During the task, participants benefitted from rhythmic contexts and showed faster responses and superior pitch discrimination for target tones than in arrhythmic sequences. Moreover, electroencephalographic (EEG) signals from bilateral auditory cortices (filtered with a dipole source model) were entrained to rhythms. Delta (1–3 Hz) frequency bands showed power peaks at 2 Hz and harmonic frequencies (4 and 6 Hz) exclusively in rhythmic sequences, according to the isochronous presentation of stimuli each 500 ms. Rhythmic regularity also modulated delta phase, beta (15–25 Hz) power, and delta-beta coupling. More importantly, those EEG changes were correlated with changes in behavioral outcomes (i.e., pitch sensitivity and response speed).
Rhythm is not the only type of temporal structure that can support attention (Nobre & van Ede, 2018). One of them is the passage of time itself when there is the certainty that the target will appear after an interval (i.e., when the target is presented in all trials). The probability that an event will occur given that it has not yet occurred increases over time and, therefore, the temporal expectation. As a consequence, reaction time (RT) decreases as the foreperiod (i.e., the interval between the cue and the target) becomes longer, which is usually known as the foreperiod effect (Niemi & Näätänen, 1981; Triviño et al., 2010). Previous studies have explored the interaction between rhythmic structures and the foreperiod effect. Martin et al. (2005) found clear effects of foreperiod and rhythm in a task in which the participants had to discriminate the color of circles. In half of the trials, a single white circle preceded the target (serving as a warning cue), leaving a silent interval of 1000, 1500, or 2000 ms. In the other half, that interval was filled with extra white circles forming an isochronous sequence (with an interonset interval, IOI, of 500 ms between each cue, and between the last of them and the target). Although in both conditions RTs decreased as the cue-target intervals became longer, in the rhythmic condition the reduction was more pronounced. The advantage of the isochronous context disappeared when its pace was drastically slowed down, with an IOI of 4000 ms (Martin et al., 2005; Experiment 2).
However, one possibility is that the improved performance in the rhythmic condition could be driven by a higher alerting state due to the greater number of cues. In their third experiment, Martin et al. found that both isochronous sequences and complex rhythmic context lead to allocate attention to moments in time in contrast to random sequences. Similarly, Ellis and Jones (2010) observed a foreperiod effect with RTs in an auditory pitch discrimination task when a scrambled context preceded the target. That is, participants were faster responding to targets that appeared 1000 ms after than those that occurred 500 ms after (and even faster than those appearing after only 250 ms). Interestingly, the use of a complex but metrical rhythm (with a beat each 1000 ms) before the target reversed the foreperiod effect. It was interpreted as a consequence of the rhythm reducing the uncertainty in all the temporal moments, as it elicited increases in temporal expectation to 1000 ms and their subdivisions, 500 and 250 ms. Thus, the better precision to estimate short intervals than longer (250 vs. 1000 ms) would explain the increase of RTs over time.
Therefore, simple and complex rhythmic contexts seem to influence the foreperiod effect, at least with response speed outcomes. Nevertheless, in the previous studies, the target always appeared in phase with the period of the entrained rhythm and just one period after the cueing sequence (e.g., 500 ms following the offset of the 500-ms isochronous sequence; Martin et al., 2005, Experiment 1). To probe the oscillatory nature of the rhythm entrainment and the extension of its effect over time, one possibility is to include targets out of phase (e.g., 250 or 750 ms in the last example) along with cue-target intervals of several periods (e.g., since 250 to 2250 ms). Another issue with the aforementioned studies is the presence of remarkably low perceptual demands (Ellis & Jones, 2010, Experiment 2; Martin et al., 2005, Experiment 1) or high (75% of accuracy; Ellis & Jones, 2010, Experiment 1). With those designs, a great percentage of participants might respectively have reached a ceiling effect or performed under the discrimination threshold. Thus, it seems relevant to adjust the demands to the perceptual skills of each participant to assess with enough sensitivity the influence of rhythm.
Finally, along with behavioral measures, recent research has shown that temporal expectation can be observed through eye-tracker measures. In two visual tasks of sustained attention, Shalev and Nobre (2020) found that the discrimination and processing speed of the participants improved in the rhythmic blocks (isochronous sequence with an IOI of 3500 ms), compared to blocks where stimuli appeared after a variable interval (2500–4500 ms). In addition, rhythmic regularity reduced pupil size across the tasks, suggesting an arousal adjustment to the conditions of high temporal certainty and the achieving of a more efficient energetic state. Interestingly, pupil size also exhibited a foreperiod-like pattern in variable blocks, with transient increases of the pupil as a function of time (i.e., larger pupil size in intervals close to 4500 than 2500 ms). However, the existence of a single cue-target interval did not allow assessing that pupil-dilation index of the foreperiod effect under a rhythmic context. It has been proposed that pupil size changes can be a sensitive measure of temporal expectation as they vary according to the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic response (via parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways: pupil constriction and dilation, respectively; Wang & Munoz, 2015). A reduced uncertainty such as that in rhythmic contexts would promote reduced tonic arousal along with marked short-scale phasic increases contingent on relevant stimuli (Aston-Jones & Cohen, 2005; Shalev & Nobre, 2020). On the other hand, high uncertainty (i.e., arrhythmic contexts) favors a continuous state of high tonic arousal and slight transient increases.
In another visual vigilance task, Dankner et al. (2017) found that saccades were inhibited prior to the target onset at predictable compared with less predictable moments, given by the use of fixed (2000 ms) and variable (1000, 1500, 2000, or 2500 ms) IOI, respectively. The prestimulus saccadic inhibition (PSSI) was absent in most participants with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and it was reduced in those (both neurotypical and with ADHD) with poorer sustaining attention scores. Thus, the PSSI-predictability effect is a sensitive measure of temporal expectation that can be related to suppression mechanisms to prevent image motion on the retina. By reducing eye motion for a short interval of time prior to the target, it may prevent transient visual distortions and enhance acuity. Even more, it has been observed an increase in saccade rates 200 ms after the saccadic suppression, which correlated with PSSI: the higher the PSSI, the higher the post-stimulus saccade rate (Dankner et al., 2017). This post-stimulus rate increase was interpreted as a rebound-like effect that could have pervasive consequences if the target appeared in an unpredictable moment, a few hundred milliseconds later. The PSSI effect has not yet been investigated with non-visual paradigms, such as auditory foreperiod tasks, as in the present research project.
The present study aims to investigate the modulating effect of rhythms over the foreperiod effect, as well as its extension over time, in behavioral outcomes (RTs and accuracy) and eye-tracker measures (pupil size and PPSI-predictability effect). We will use a pitch discrimination task with a sequence of standard tones before the target onset. In one block, the IOI will be fixed at 500 ms forming a rhythmic context, while in another block the IOI will be randomly varied between 250 and 750 ms (arrhythmic context). To adjust the perceptual demands in each participant, at the same time that we leave a large proportion of correct responses, a 1-up/4-down procedure will be used to estimate the 84.1% correct pitch discrimination threshold (Levitt, 1971). Moreover, we will use variable cue-target intervals up to 2250 ms and targets in phase with the rhythmic sequence (i.e., n 500 ms after the last tone of a 500-ms isochronous sequence) and targets out of phase (i.e., n 500 +/− 250). This manipulation will allow observing whether attention is devoted more to the moments predicted by the entrained rhythm than those out of phase.
Hypotheses
We expect a classic foreperiod effect will appear in response speed and accuracy. That is, the later the target onset, the faster the response and the better discrimination (higher accuracy) of the participants. Moreover, and crucially for this study, the presence of a rhythmic context before the target will enhance the perceptual sensitivity and the preparation to the critical moment, and will modulate the foreperiod effect. The presentation of several isochronous standard tones will lead to better performance at moments in phase with the entrained rhythm (500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 ms after the last standard tone). Moreover, we predict that although those effects will extend to the later in-phase moments (1000, 1500, and 2000 ms), it is probable that the alignment with the rhythm will decay over time.
Regarding eye-tracker measures, we also expect a modulation of the rhythmic context over the foreperiod effect. Specifically, we hypothesize a decrease of the pupil size at the beginning of the sequence of standard tones along with an increase before the target onset, that will be more marked in the rhythmic block. Furthermore, whether the PSSI is a cross-modal effect, it would be possible to find a similar block modulation over the PSSI: a higher saccade rate just before (−100 ms) the appearance of in-phase targets during the variable-IOI block than in the fixed-IOI block. Finally, the impact of the rhythmic context might decay with the pass of time, being greater in the first periods than in the last ones.
Method
Participants
We have selected the three-way interaction [block (2) × period (4) × phase (2); for details, see below] to estimate the sample size in the present experiment. In a previous pilot study with 11 participants, we found an effect size of f2 = 0.12. Using the Superpower R package (Caldwell et al., 2020), we have found that at least 43 participants will be necessary for a small-to-medium effect size of f2 = 0.09 (similar to that observed in the pilot) with an alpha of .05 and a power of .80. Accordingly, we have chosen a sample size of 45 participants due to the possibility of some missing participants as a consequence of technical issues or misunderstandings of the instructions. All the participants will be students from the University of Granada that will receive 15€ for participating. All will have a self-reported normal or corrected-to-normal vision and will be naïve as to the purpose of the experiment.
The study will be conducted following the ethical guidelines laid down by the University of Granada (536/CEIH/2018), in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki (last update: Seoul, 2008). Outlier detection will be based on performance (i.e., mean reaction times and accuracy) identified as poor in terms of meeting all the following indices: standard deviation from the mean of the sample (> 2.5), studentized deleted residuals (> 3), and Cook’s Di (> 4/n).
Apparatus and Stimuli
The stimulus presentation, timing, and data collection will be controlled by a program written using E-Prime 2.0 (Schneider et al., 2002), run on a standard Pentium 4 PC. During the task, a light gray fixation cross will be presented on the center of a 17-inch widescreen monitor with a 1,280 × 1024-pixel resolution and 60 Hz of refresh rate. Auditory stimuli will be sine wave tones created with Audacity. Tones will last 60 ms with 10 ms rise and 10 ms fall times. Standard tones will have 500 Hz of frequency and will be presented at 70 dB. Whereas, comparison higher and lower tones will have 500 ± Δ Hz and 78 dB, where Δ represents the 84.1% correct pitch discrimination threshold estimated with a 1-up/4-down procedure (Levitt, 1971). We will use a video-based eye-tracker (EyeLink 1000 Plus, SR Research, Ontario, Canada) to measure pupil diameter monocularly as well as microsaccades and blinks at 1000 Hz.
Procedure
The study will be carried out after preregistration, during June of 2021. The experiment will take place in a dimly-light room and using glasses or contact lenses if needed. The session will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Prior to the experimental task, participants will complete a questionnaire (Appendix A) with items about demographic information, the fatigue and vigor scales of the Spanish abbreviated version of the Profile of Mood States questionnaire (Andrade et al., 2013; original version, Grove & Prapavessis, 1992), musical training background, and exclusion criteria: vision or hearing problems, neurological or psychiatric illness, diabetes, drug abuse, or chronic use of psychoactive medication. After that, participants will sit 64 cm from the monitor, and a chin rest will be used to keep their head still. First, the individual pitch discrimination threshold will be estimated using a 1-up/4-down procedure (84.1% correct pitch discrimination, following Levitt, 1971). In each trial, a standard tone will be presented followed by a comparison tone 500 ms after. The participants will be required to judge whether they perceive the second stimulus higher or lower in pitch than the standard (pressing “8” or “2” keys, respectively). The estimation of the discrimination threshold will comprise two blocks, one for the upper threshold and beginning with a 515-Hz tone and a lower threshold block beginning with a tone of 485 Hz of frequency (the order of the blocks will be counterbalanced). We will estimate the discrimination threshold by averaging the frequency of all the peaks and valleys in each type of block. Peaks and valleys are the frequency values at which a change in the perceptual trend occurs (for instance, when the individual perceives that the second tone has a lower pitch after a series of trials in which it was judged as higher). To reach a reliable discrimination threshold in each participant, the 1-up/4-down procedure will finish after the occurrence of ten peaks or valleys in each block.
After the estimation of the discrimination threshold, participants will carry out the pitch discrimination task. The instructions will appear on the screen and will be explained to the participant by the experimenter, who will also answer any questions about the procedure. In each trial, the participants will hear five, six, or seven standard tones with an IOI of 500 ms or a random value between 250 and 750 ms, depending on the block (fixed vs. variable block; see Figure A in the OSF project https://osf.io/cw93r/). After the sequence of standard tones, a comparison tone will appear with an IOI randomly selected from 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, 2000, and 2250 ms. The participants will be required to discriminate as fast and accurately as possible whether the comparison tone has a higher or lower pitch than the standard tones, pressing “z” or “m” (the meaning of what indicates each key will be counterbalanced across participants). The discrimination task will begin with two practice blocks of eight trials each. Feedback for incorrect responses will be provided only during practice blocks. Then, participants will complete one block of 252 trials with fixed IOIs of 500 ms for the sequence of standard tones or with variable IOIs between 250 and 750 ms (the order will be counterbalanced across participants). As there are nine possible IOIs between the last standard tone and the target, and two pitches, there will be 14 trials for each type (with the same IOI and the same pitch). Subsequently, participants will be asked about the difficulty of the last task block (Appendix B). After 1 or 2 minutes of rest, they will carry out a second task block, with variable IOIs if the first block was with fixed IOIs or with fixed if the previous were variable. Finally, the participants will complete the question about the difficulty. The experimental task will compromise 28 trials for each experimental condition.
Design and Statistical Analyses
The experiment has a (2 × 4 × 2) three-factor repeated-measures design: block (fixed vs. variable), period (500–750/1000–1250/1500–1750/2000–2250 ms), and phase (in-phase: 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 ms; vs. out-of-phase target: 750, 1250, 1750, and 2250 ms). For behavioral measures, we will conduct repeated-measures ANOVAs with mean RTs and accuracy as dependent variables. Moreover, paired t-tests will be used for comparison between conditions. We expect a higher number of misses in the cue-target interval of 250 ms, and, subsequently, a reduced proportion of trials to be analyzed.
Regarding eye-tracker measures, blink intervals will be identified following Hershman et al.’s procedure (2018) and will be removed from the analyses. For analyses with trial time series, raw pupil size will be converted to z scores, by calculating the mean and standard deviation of each separate block for each participant. Then, the time series before the target onset of both blocks will be compared with permutation t-tests based on 10,000 samples. In addition, the slopes of the increase in the pupil size during foreperiod will be analyzed with a regression model, including block (fixed vs. variable) as a categorical factor.
For saccade analyses, gaze-position data will be segmented into epochs from –500 to 500 ms relative to the target onset. For saccades detection, we will use a similar procedure to Dankner et al. (2017): saccades are identified by eye moments that exceed a threshold of 4 standard deviations from the median velocity during 7 ms (seven consecutive eye-position samples). The dependent variable will be the saccade rate at –100 to 0 ms relative to the onset of targets for PSSI and the saccade rate at 0 to 500 ms for the post-stimulus effect. We will exclude every trial in which a blink interval overlaps with that interval or in which a saccade larger than 3° occurs at that interval. Permutation t-tests for each time point based on 10,000 samples will be used. In addition, we will use two repeated-measures ANOVAs with block (fixed vs. variable) and phase (in phase vs. out of phase) as factors: one with the mean saccade rates at the pre-stimulus interval (–100 to 0 ms) as dependent variable, and another with the mean saccade rates at the post-stimulus interval 200 to 500 ms).
References
Andrade, E., Arce, C., De Francisco, C., Torrado, J., & Garrido, J. (2013). Abbreviated version in Spanish of the POMS questionnaire for adult athletes and general population. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 22(1), 95–102.
Aston-Jones, G., & Cohen, J. D. (2005). An integrative theory of locus coeruleus- norepinephrine function
French validation of VSABTH-C
No full textRecently, the Society of Psychological Hypnosis revised its definition and considers hypnosis as “a state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion” (p. 382, Elkins et al. 2015). However, while today, the use of therapeutic hypnosis becomes more and more frequent (e‧g. management of acute or chronic pain, stress, anxiety, depression, mood disorders,etc.), despite its clinical efficiency, its mechanisms of action are not still well understood.
The socio-cognitive approach argued that participants' imagination, beliefs and expectations of hypnosis are factors that play a crucial role in explaining the hypnotics’ phenomena (Barnier, Dienes, & Mitchell, 2008). Spanos (1986) compared hypnotic behaviour to phenomena of social influence such as persuasion and compliance. He argued that the lack of volition felt by the person when performing hypnotic suggestion is not the result of cognitive dissociation but of misattribution. The hypnotized person attributes their hypnotic behavior to external factors rather than to him/herself. The context in which hypnosis takes place, the formulation of suggestions and interpretations encourage participants to recognize their answers as involuntary rather than deliberate acts. Imagination would reinforce this sensation (Spanos, 1986; Spanos & Chaves, 1989). Spanos (1991) defined the hypnotic response as a product of the goal-oriented imagination. In addition, the degree of hypnotisability result from individuals’ beliefs and compliance, particular their desire (conscious or unconscious) to appear as "good" hypnotic subjects (Spanos, 1996). This attitude accounts for a classic phenomenon, widely known in psychology, social desirability, which consists of wanting to present oneself in a favourable light to one's interlocutors. Therefore, the responses to hypnotic suggestions might be likely governed by psychosocial factors such as attitudes, beliefs and social desirability. Moreover, it was suggested that some of personality traits might also predict individual’s responses toward hypnotic suggestions.
Malinoski and Lynn (1999) used the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI, Costa & McCrae, 1991), a tool based on the Big Five model and.Malinoski and Lynn (1999) found a strong relationship between pleasantness and extraversion factors and scores on the Harvard Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale(HGSHS : A, Shor & Orne, 1962). In contrast, they found no correlation between openness to experience and hypnotic suggestibility. Recently, Nordenstrom, Council and Meier (2002) replicated this research by using of the Big Five Inventory (BFI, John, Donahue & Kentle, 1991). The BFI is an instrument whose items are based on five personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. These dimensions are used to describe the different facets of a person's character. BFI scores correlate with NEO-FFI scores. Hypnotic suggestibility was measured with the Waterloo-Stanford scale (WSGS: C, Bowers, 1998). The results are quite close to those of Malinoski and Lynn (1999; Kirsch & Council, 1992), correlations between BFI and WSGS are weak, thus challenging the hypothesis of a relationship between hypnotizability scales and personality traits.Using the NEO-PI-R and the Standford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Zhang et al. (2017) have demonstrated that the hypnotic suggestibility/hypnotisability was associated with openness to experience, extraversion, and agreeableness, and they have shown that these associations were weak and their patterns were different in participants with high or low hypnotizability. Lastly, while some studies have shown correlations between traits of personality within the Big Five model and social desirability (see Congard et al. 2012; Tournois et al. 2000), the relationship between these factors and their concomitant effect on hypnotisability has not been yet explored.
To end, an idea widely expanded is that hypnotisable people have high imagery abilities. However, some authors have shown that imaging ability does not consistently correlate with hypnotic suggestibility (Laurence et al. 2008; Terhune & Cadena, 2010) while imagination is crucial in the processing of hypnotic suggestions. Indeed, EEG measures show an imagery activity in people highly hypnotizable. According Decety (1996; Maquet et al. 2005; Rainville 2004), during hypnosis, the imagery would be multisensory (visual, auditory, somesthetic, etc.). In French populations, there are few studies concerning imagery and hypnosis. Nevertheless, Grebot et al. (2005) found correlation between mental imagery and hypnotic suggestibility.
Regardless, before using hypnosis as a therapeutic adjunct, it is important to assess the patient's attitudes and to demystify fears and false expectations regarding hypnosis (Molina-Peral et al., 2020). Attitudes towards hypnosis are well-known for their influence on hypnotic responses as the success of treatment outcomes, as positive attitudes are linked to positive outcomes; attitudes can amplify hypnotic suggestibility; they also affect the therapeutic relationship (Capafons, Cabanas, Espejo, & Cardena, 2004; Lynn & Kirsch, 2006; Lynn & Green, 2011; for a review see Robin, 2013). Negative and unrealistic beliefs can interfere with cooperation with the hypnotist and adherence to treatment. Although attitudes and beliefs have been recognized as main determinants of responding to hypnosis, research on this topic are scant. Nevertheless, a few studies have demonstrated that positive attitudes or beliefs about hypnosis are associated with higher levels of hypnotic suggestibility (Kirsch et al., 1995; Spanos et al., 1987).
Capafons and his colleagues have developed a series of self-reported questionnaires measuring attitudes and beliefs towards hypnosis with therapist or client version (Capafons et al. 2004; Capafons et al., 2006 Capafons et al., 2008; Carvalho et al., 2007). The recent version of the client questionnaire consisted of 37 items using a 6-point scale, agree-disagree format (e‧g., I am fearful about hypnosis; under hypnosis, achievements can be reached without any effort on the part of the client). The last version of this scale, the Valencia Scale of Attitudes and Belief Toward Hypnosis-Client version (VSABTH-C, Capafons et al., 2015) comprised 8 factors: (1) Fear, e‧g. the loss of voluntary control during hypnosis. (2) Memory, e‧g. hypermnesia effect under hypnosis. (3) Help, e‧g. the usefulness of hypnosis. (4) Control, e‧g. suggests that hypnotized people control their actions; hypnotic responses are voluntary. (5) Collaboration, e‧g. a necessary collaboration with the hypnotist. (6) Interest, e‧g. desire to be hypnotized. (7) Magic, e‧g. a wonderful technique to solve problems without to make any effort. (8) Marginal, e‧g. outside the scientific domain; hypnotizable people are marginal (Green et al., 2012; Franquelo et al., 2020).The VSABTH-C gained interest among researchers as a predictor tool of hypnotic responses. A series of international samples and studies (excepted in French) has confirmed a consistent and stable eight-factor structure in English, Romania, Portuguese and Spanish-speaking (Capafons et al. 2004; Carvalho et al. 2007; Franquelo et al., 2020; Green et al. 2012).
The absence of a valid instrument for assessing attitudes in French has led us to translate and validate the VSABTH-C, it will be then the first instrument validated for a French-speaking population. In addition, the present study is the first phase of a series of research aiming to determine the generalizability of the scale and the usefulness of this measure as a screening test for hypnosis-based treatments. Indeed, clinical trials have shown that positive attitudes is related to greater improvement in patients (Capafons, 2012; Capafons & Mazzoni, 2005; Mendoza, Capafons & jensen, 2017).
Taking into consideration all of the above, the present study aims: (1) to analyse the eight factors structure of VSABTH-C in French online version, Franquelo et al. (2020) were the first authors who evidenced that scale can be applied in online mode. (2) To analyse the internal consistency, convergent validity and discriminant validity. (3) To analyse the variation across personality traits, social desirability and imagery abilities, since so far, no study has presented these comparisons and these would contribute to the knowledge of factors modulating responses to hypnotic suggestions. The effects of these factors (personality traits, vividness of multisensory imagery, social desirability) are usually considered in the light of hypnotizability, i‧e. the ease with which the individual behaves towards a hypnotic suggestion, such as hand levitation. Nevertheless, the relationship between these factors and attitudes/beliefs toward hypnosis have not been yet studied.
Therefore, our study aims to contribute to a better knowledge of determinants of the hypnotic responses. Furthermore, the French validation of the VSABTH-C will be used as predictor to hypnotic response in a clinical setting, especially in periodontics surgery. As well as studies about the effectiveness of hypnosis for treating symptoms such as pain, burns, surgery (Fathy et al., 2018; Landolt & Milling, 2011; Montgomery et al., 2018), an extension of this research aims to evaluate the potential benefits of the attitudes and beliefs about hypnosis on the treatment of anxiety and theirs consequences on the periodontitis inflammation in clinical hypnotic setting.
To sum up, we aim first to validate a French version of the VSABTH and to confirm psychometric properties, including factorial structure and internal reliability on a sample of adults in order to provide a French scale of attitudes and beliefs toward hypnosis. A French version is essential for clinical and experimental studies on hypnosis. In addition, this validation increases the transcultural studies
Variations in author gender in obstetrics disease prevalence studies: a systematic review comparing intimate partner violence with gestational diabetes
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Measuring Intellectual Humility in Adolescence
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Validating the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire with Valued School Outcomes
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Native and non-native vowel discrimination in 6-month-old Norwegian infants
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Behavioural Consequences of High-Stakes Emotional Deception: Out-of-Sample Prediction
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Testing Evolutionary Theories of Cooperation via Meta-Analysis of Predictors of Repayment for Joint Liability Microfinance Loans
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