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Lack of reassurance after unexpected positive health risk feedback - an analysis of temporal dynamics
Josianne Kollmann1, Fridtjof W Nussbeck2, Nadine C Lages1
1Department of Psychology, Psychological Assessment & Health Psychology, University of Konstanz Konstanz, Germany.
Introduction:
How do people receive unexpected positive health risk information? While common motivational accounts predict acceptance, consistency accounts such as the cue-adaptive reasoning account (CARA) predict a 'lack of reassurance'.
Objectives:
We therefore tested (1) whether people prefer striving for positivity or retaining a sense of self-consistency ('lack of reassurance'), and (2) if there are systematic differences in short- and long-term reception, which would indicate temporal dynamics in processing.
Methods:
As part of a longitudinal cohort study, participants of a community health screening (N = 1,055) received their actual cholesterol readings. Feedback reception was assessed immediately, at one month and six months.
Results:
Processing trajectories for unexpected positive feedback showed a significant 'lack of reassurance' effect over time compared with expected positive feedback, while unexpected negative feedback was less threatening than expected negative feedback.
Conclusions:
The perseverance of this 'lack of reassurance' over time indicates that striving for consistency in self-views is a robust phenomenon, even if it means forfeiting a better view of one's own health.
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