While thinking essentially in nonpsychoanalytic terms, Sarbin concerns himself with ego aspects of hypnosis. Basing his argument on analogy between role-taking in the drama and in hypnosis, he postulates that hypnotizability depends upon favorable motivation (congruence between the subject's self-concept and the role of the hypnotic subject), the perception of the hypnotic role, and a postulated role-taking aptitude which is probably dependent upon or continuous with the ability of the subject to use 'as if' formulations. The discontinuity of behavior between the hypnotic and normal waking state and the automaticity of hypnotic behavior are apparent but not real: they can be understood in terms of the subject's perception of the hypnotic role, of the degree of participation of the self in that role, and of his facility in 'as if' behavior.