| Abstract: | Conducted 3 studies with 251 undergraduates in which Ss were presented with health-relevant information (e.g., blood pressure BP] or symptoms). Study 1 showed that informing Ss that their BP was elevated affected 2 attributes of illness representation: identity (label and symptoms), and time line or expected chronology of the health threat. In Study 2, Ss used environmental cues to interpret whether familiar, unfamiliar, and ambiguous symptoms were due to illness or to stress. Study 3 showed that the constructive process, initiated by a high-BP reading, is directed by prior beliefs about the time line for developing high BP and by the presence of external cues about the stressfulness of daily life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
