The day before surgery, 30 patients heard a tape recording that gave suggestions of relaxation, drowsiness, comfort during the operation, and quick recovery, and which also gave simple information about the forthcoming operation. A control group of 30 additional surgical patients heard a recording describing facilities available in the hospital. No differences between the 2 groups were found on surgeons ratings of degree of nervousness on the day of the operation, or on speed of recovery. However, there was a significant correlation within the experimental group between depth of relaxation while listening to the recording and absence of nervousness the day of the operation, and also between depth of relaxation and speed of recovery. Verbal reports of benefit from listening to the recording were unrelated to depth of relaxation.
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Peter Field (1974) studied this question.
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