Hypnotherapy is a viable and well proven form of therapy (Baker, 1990). However, several studies have suggested that public attitudes toward hypnosis are negative (Daglish & Wright, 1991; Large & James, 1991). This study examined whether differences in public attitudes toward hypnosis are related to demographic differences characteristic of attitude holders.
The undertaken study consisted of an investigation for the relationship of selected demographics to attitudes toward hypnosis in four independent samples of people exiting four large local supermarkets. Attitudes were measured using The Attitude Toward Hypnosis Questionnaire (Spanos, Brett, Menary & Cross, 1987) which assesses attitudes toward hypnosis in three basic areas: a) positive beliefs about hypnosis; b) degree of fear concerning being hypnotised; and c) beliefs about the mental stability of hypnotizable people. The demographic variables examined in the study were: a) age; b) religion; c) marital status, d) yearly income; and e) educational background.
Rationale and Significance of the Study
Reasons offered in the existing literature for public negativism toward hypnosis and hypnotherapy are diverse. For example, Large and James (1991) ascribe the negativism to media portrayals and stage show performances which induce apprehension and anxiety about the hypnotic process and state. Daglish and Wright (1991), on the other hand, state that the negativism is due to a genuine lack of knowledge about the process. They feel that if people were to be made more knowledgeable, their attitudes would shift from negative views to positive views.
Of particular interest to this study is the suggestion by Brogan, Martin and Deidre (1984) that hypnosis is not an appropriate therapeutic tool for the Christian; this due to its association with the occult. This suggestion leads to the question of whether attitudes toward hypnosis may differ depending upon differences in dem...