Emotional reactivity and the overreport of somatic symptoms: somatic sensitivity or negative reporting style?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of emotional reactivity (ER) in symptom reporting and conceptualize somatizing processes as a signal detection task. Emotional reactivity has been theorized to influence symptom reporting through somatic sensitivity as well as via a negative reporting style. We assess the degree to which these two competing theories about the role of ER are accurate within the signal detection framework.


METHODS
We used a multimethod approach that included using both static and prospective self-reports as well as a signal detection task.


RESULTS
Results suggest that ER exerts its influence on somatization tendencies via a negatively biased reporting style and is not mediated by somatic sensitivity as suggested by the somatosensory amplification and the symptom perception hypothesis.


CONCLUSIONS
Emotional reactivity has yet to be associated with objective measures of somatic sensitivity. Until such an association is found, it is likely that ER influences symptom reports via negatively biased reporting.
Aronson
Keith R
KR
Social Science Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, 103 Health and Human Development East, University Park, PA 16802, USA. kra105@psu.edu
Barrett
Lisa Feldman
LF
Quigley
Karen
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D012803:Sick Role; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires