A new way of characterizing hypnotic interactions: Dyadic Interactional Harmony (DIH) questionnaire

Aims: The validation of a new paper and pencil test (called Dyadic Interactional Harmony (DIH) questionnaire).

Method: Data of two samples of standardized experimental hypnosis sessions (E1 and E2) are presented. In E1, 232 subjects (Ss) have been hypnotized using the standard protocol of SHSS:A; in E2, 110 Ss participated in group sessions of WSGC.

Various well established measures of hypnosis (e.g. hypnotic susceptibility, AIM, PCI,) served as validating criteria for the 4 subscales of DIH: 1 Intimacy; 2 Communion; 3 Playfulness; 4 Tension.

Conclusions: The DIH subscales measured the way participants emotionally evaluated their session and the hypnotic relationship with Intimacy having the highest explanatory value. The hypnotizability of the Ss only moderately correlated with DIH subscales. Some characteristic differences were found regarding the pattern of relationship between the DIH subscales and the state effects of hypnosis between the hypnotists (Hs) and Ss.

The values of DIH are closest to that of the AIM Archaic Involvement measure (especially in cases of Hs), but seems to be independent from most of the phenomenological aspects of the hypnotic trance (especially in cases of Ss). The DIH is a promising measure with which to tap the interactional aspects of hypnotic relationship. Copyright © 2006 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.