Validation of the German Version of the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS) in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Depressive Symptoms: A Comparison with the HGSHS-5:G

Abstract

Imaginative suggestibility is an important component of hypnotic responsiveness. However, a validated German version of the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS) is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and convergent validity of the German CIS against the short form of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS-5:G) in individuals with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. In this post hoc validation study, the German CIS was evaluated using reliability analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and mixed polychoric–tetrachoric correlations with the HGSHS-5:G. Among 97 participants, the CIS showed good internal consistency (α = 0.85, ω = 0.87). A two-factor model showed better fit than a unidimensional model, although absolute model fit remained suboptimal and the factors were highly correlated (r = 0.80). CIS and HGSHS-5:G scores were moderately correlated (r = 0.52, p < 0.001), supporting convergent validity. This first validation of the German CIS demonstrated good reliability and preliminary evidence for a two-factor structure, warranting replication in larger samples. The CIS may complement behavioral measures of hypnotic responsiveness in research and clinical applications.