Description of the Questionnaire

The Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale (SHCS) is a brief, structured assessment tool designed for use in clinical settings to evaluate an individual’s hypnotic suggestibility. It is a simplified version of the more comprehensive Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales (SHSS) and includes five standardized suggestions. These suggestions assess both motor and cognitive responses: the first involves a hand-lowering suggestion, the second assesses arm rigidity, the third tests for the automatic movement of the hands together, the fourth involves speech inhibition, and the fifth is a posthypnotic suggestion designed to evaluate responsiveness to a hypnotic command after termination of the trance.

Data Analysis and Use

Each suggestion is scored as either successful or unsuccessful, receiving a score of 1 or 0 respectively. The sum of successful responses produces a total score ranging from 0 to 5. The data can be used in both research and clinical contexts to classify individuals according to their level of hypnotizability (low, medium, or high), to identify suitable candidates for hypnotherapeutic interventions, and to study the relationship between hypnotizability and other psychological variables, such as anxiety, pain, or trauma.

Objective

The main goal of the SHCS is to provide a rapid and reliable assessment of hypnotic suggestibility without the need for the more time-consuming procedures of the full Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale. The tool facilitates the selection of appropriate hypnotic suggestions for therapy, helps predict the effectiveness of hypnotic techniques, and offers a valid basis for clinical evaluation and planning.

Calibration

Scoring is based on the participant’s response to each of the five suggestions. Each successful response earns one point, with a maximum possible score of 5. Depending on the total score, hypnotizability is categorized as low (0–1), medium (2–3), or high (4–5). The tool can also be used to track changes in suggestibility over time or across repeated sessions.

Bibliography

Spiegel, H., & Spiegel, D. (1978). Trance and Treatment: Clinical Uses of Hypnosis. American Psychiatric Press. Woody, E.Z., Barnier, A.J., & McConkey, K.M. (2005). “Multiple hypnotizabilities: Theoretical implications of the Stanford scales”. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. Lynn, S.J., Kirsch, I., & Hallquist, M.N. (2008). “Social cognitive theories of hypnosis.” In Nash & Barnier (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Hypnosis.