Suggestion and distraction in the control of pain: Test of two hypotheses.

96 18–30 yr old undergraduates, preselected for high or for low hypnotic susceptibility on the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility—Form A, reported their level of perceived pain during a 50-sec baseline immersion of their hand in ice water. In a 2nd immersion, independent groups of high and low hypnotizables (n?=?12) were tested (without hypnosis) under 4 conditions: analgesia suggestion alone, verbal-distraction task alone, a combination of suggestion plus distraction, and control. Among high hypnotizables, as compared to the control group, all 3 experimental treatments were effective in reducing pain. The combination of suggestion plus distraction was no more effective than was either of the single treatments alone in reducing pain. Among low hypnotizables, only the distraction treatment was effective. Results support an attentional-diversion explanation of the effect of waking analgesia suggestions rather than a special resources hypothesis. It appears that both high and low hypnotizables can divert attention toward external stimuli, but only high hypnotizables can successfully divert attention inward to control pain. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)