The feature-positive effect and hypochondriacal concerns.
There is evidence to suggest that people have more problems with processing information that is absent (negative information) than with present (positive) information. This bias of overweighing positive and underweighing negative information has been termed the "feature-positive effect" (FPE). Typically, hypochondriasis is characterized by excessive focusing on bodily complaints (cf. positive information), and at the same time discarding negative medical test results (cf. negative information). It was explored whether the FPE is involved in this pattern. Fifty-three undergraduates completed a measure of hypochondriacal concerns and a general, domain-free test of the FPE. As expected, a positive correlation between the FPE and hypochondriacal concerns was observed. Implications for cognitive-behavioural theory are discussed.
Rassin
Eric
E
Faculty of Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. rassin@fsw.eur.nl
Muris
Peter
P
Franken
Ingmar
I
van Straten
Margrethe
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009341:Negativism; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time