ABSTRACT
Hypnosis developed from the creative therapeutic techniques of a number of 18th- and 19th-century practitioners. In the 18th and 19th centuries, medical hypnotists strove for a more scientific and scholarly base for hypnosis, with scholarly journals founded as early as 1786. In the 20th century, scientific research on hypnosis came into its own with researchers from Ernest and Josephine Hilgard to Martin Orne. Research on clinical applications of hypnosis followed, along with studies monitoring neural processes accompanying hypnosis.
Nevertheless, recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have highlighted methodological weaknesses and sources of bias. This chapter overviews best practices for research in hypnosis. The chapter draws on the work of the Task Force for Efficacy Standards in Hypnosis Research. The authors highlight practice guidelines for research in healthcare such as the CONSORT statement and the GRADE system. They discuss specific guidelines for research in hypnosis, including: (1) the use of detailed protocols and manuals for the hypnotic intervention, to ensure reproducibility, (2) measurement of hypnotizability, (3) measurement of response expectancy, (4) guidelines for partial blinding, and (5) standards for assessing efficacy. Finally, the chapter reports on survey findings assessing clinician and researcher views of the relative importance of different research standards and research priorities in hypnosis and the effectiveness of various hypnotic applications.
