The Relationship of Hypnotizability and Empathy: A Replication and Extension Study

A recent research article articulated the Empathic Involvement Theory of hypnotizability (EIT; Wickramasekera II, 2015). The theory holds that individual differences in hypnotizability are correlated with, and in part determined by, the capacity to empathize. I review the theory and the founding empirical study (Wickramasekera II & Szlyk, 2003) and detail our attempt to replicate these findings in our laboratory. We did not obtain statistically significant relationships between empathic ability and hypnotizability. I discuss these findings, the ramifications on the proposed empathy/hypnotizability question, and the larger agenda of whether hypnotizability connects with personality.