Suggestion, suggestibility and anxiety: Current research and clinical implications

Relationship between suggestibility and several anxiety reactions has been documented by different authors. Such relationship is quite controversial but there is a line of research that suggests a positive correlation between high susceptible subjects and anxiety disorders. In this paper, an up-to-date review of the literature is presented; as well as a correlational research where the possible relationship between suggestibility (that is, the ability to be influenced by certain directive instructions) and different anxiety patterns in normal population is studied. For this investigation, two assessment instruments were used: (1) the Barber Suggestibility Scale, which includes two indexes of suggestibility (first, an index obtained by means of behavioral criteria, and second, an index obtained by means of self-report scale); (2) the Inventory of Situations and Responses of Anxiety -I.S.R.A.-, which measures the three anxiety response systems (cognitive, physiological, and motor), four situational areas or specific traits, and a general trait of anxiety. Results are presented and discussed regarding with: (a) correlational data on the concordance between Barber s subscales: observational and selfreport assessments; (b) high and low susceptible subjects differences related with anxiety scores: ISRAsubscales, ISRA-situations, and ISRA-responses. Finally, clinical implications of these results are considered and delineated.