Reactivity of the measurement of cognitions associated with dental anxiety.
There are several reasons to suppose that sampling the contents of consciousness can affect patients' mood. In an attempt to explore the effect on state anxiety of inquiring about cognitions associated with dental anxiety, 90 patients waiting to see a dentist were asked about the content of their ideation. One group was asked whether they had ever experienced any of a list of negative thoughts, a second group any listed positive thoughts and a third group any listed neutral thoughts. As measured by the PARQ, the emotional and cognitive components of state anxiety were higher in the positive and negative conditions relative to the neutral condition, perhaps because patients' attempts to distract themselves were overridden by the investigator's inquiries.
Kent
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University Department of Psychiatry, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010556:Personality Tests