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Table 2 Description and psychometric properties of measures of behavioural and involuntariness responses to hypnotic suggestions

From: Hypnotherapy for procedural pain, itch, and state anxiety in children with acute burns: a feasibility and acceptability study protocol

Measurement

Goal

Description

Score ranges

Scoring

Duration

Time point

Psychometric properties

Standard SHCS: CHILD form [37]

To measure behavioural responses to hypnotic suggestions for children aged 6–16 years

- Relaxation/eye closure induction;

- 7 test suggestions for time regression, visualisation, ideomotor responses, and post-hypnotic suggestions to re-enter hypnosis at hand clapa

0–7:

- Low: 0–2;

- Medium: 3–5;

- High: 6–7

- 0 if absent or negative behavioural response,

- 1 if positive behavioural response [37]

20 mins

Just before and during the 1st dressing change

- Moderate correlation with the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A scale: r = 0.67 [37]

- Established concurrent validity [37]

Modified SHCS: CHILD form [37]

To measure behavioural responses to hypnotic suggestions for children aged 4–8 years

- Active induction in which eyes can be open;

- 6 test suggestions for time regression, visualisation, and ideomotor responses

0–6:

- Low: 0–1;

- Medium: 2–4;

- High: 5–6

Involuntariness numeric scale [39]

To rate involuntariness and automaticity experienced during the responses to SHCS: CHILD suggestions

Age-appropriate question reworded to children’s age regarding experienced involuntariness during responses to SHCS: CHILD items (did that feel like you made that happen or that it happened by itself?)b

Mean of items scores

Score ranging from 0 (no response), 1 (voluntary response to suggestions) to 5 (involuntary-automatic enactment) for each SHCS: CHILD test item

10 mins

During the 1st dressing change

- Good internal consistency (αs: 0.76–0.86) [40]

- Adequate construct validity: moderate correlation of involuntariness scores with scores on a standardised hypnotic suggestibility scale (r = .49, p < .001, 95% CI = [.31, .65], n  = 58) [41]

  1. aAnaesthesia suggestion will be incorporated in the ideosensory test suggestion to assess specific responses relevant to hypno-anaesthesia
  2. bFollowing each test suggestion, children will be asked about the involuntariness experienced during responses to test suggestions