Suggestibility in hypochondriacal patients and healthy control subjects. An experimental case-control study.

ABSTRACT

This study examined suggestibility to bodily sensations in hypochondriacal patients and healthy subjects. Both groups participated in an experiment in which electrical current was announced but not delivered. Suggestibility was measured by the number of responses and by response latencies. The authors hypothesized that the hypochondriacal patients would be more easily influenced by the expectation of a forthcoming stimulus, leading to higher and quicker "stimulus detection" rates than those experienced by the healthy subjects. In contrast to these expectations, the healthy subjects showed higher response frequencies and lower response latencies. Thus, the hypochondriacal patients appeared to be less influenced by the expectation that was raised. The theoretical and clinical implications of the results are discussed.