Fear responses to mock magnetic resonance imaging among college students: toward a prototype experiment.
Two hundred randomly selected student participants (139 females, 61 males) responded initially to questionnaires that quantified variables such as state and trait anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, claustrophobia, and panic/agoraphobia. Later they were informed that a mock magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure was upcoming, and were prompted to provide self-efficacy ratings vis-à-vis completing the procedure. Finally, the participants' behavioral reactions to a mock MRI procedure were characterized; their heart beats were recorded and ratings of fearfulness were acquired. One purpose of the research was simply to tally numbers of participants who responded fearfully in various ways: 7 failed the procedure behaviorally, 7 others completed the procedure but did so fearfully, 17 others completed the procedure but manifested excessive heart-rate responsivity. A second purpose of the research was to "predict" subjects' fear-response categorization psychometrically and/or with self-efficacy ratings: psychometric data related to claustrophobia predicted subjects' fear-response categorization as did self-efficacy ratings. According to these results mock MRI assessment among college students provides a promising context for research on claustrophobia.
McGlynn
F Dudley
FD
Department of Psychology, Thach Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5214, USA. mcglyfd@mail.auburn.edu
Karg
Rhonda
R
Lawyer
Steven R
SR
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires