Eye-Blink Rate and Hypnosis: Preliminary Findings

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Abstract
This is one of a series of studies oriented toward testing the validity and reliability of certain features of the outer appearance of hypnotized individuals which have long been popularly and clinically considered good indices of “hypnosis.” The present report focuses on eye-blink rate. 19 individuals were administered a slight modification of the Stanford Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A. Samples of their blink rates were obtained prior to the induction of hypnosis and some time after the induction of hypnosis procedure had been terminated, but before the dehypnotization procedures began. The results support the popular and clinical belief that hypnotic-like behavior is accompanied by a decrement in blink rate to the extent that Ss scoring 6 or more points on the Stanford Scale showed a marked and statistically significant mean reduction in blink rate of over 60% following the induction procedure and some testing of their suggestibility. In contrast, Ss scoring 5 or less, and presumably not hypnotized but merely suggestible to non-suggestible, did not show a statistically significant decrement. As a possible index of “hypnosis,” such a decrease in rate was found to have a test-retest reliability of .86.

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