Cues for health-related imagery in analogue worriers: a brief report

The role of specific cues for eliciting fearful imagery in a sample of analogue worriers was examined. Picture, script and audiotape disease-related cues were presented to 12 nonworriers and 13 analogue worriers who worried about health and disease. In general, the picture and audiotape cues were most anxiety provoking and elicited the most vivid imagery, respectively, although ratings were in the moderate range. Repeated trials of brief imagery had little effect on imagery ratings or estimates of risk for contracting the disease (i.e. worry statements) in the worry group. Disconfirmation of risk for contracting the diseases tended to lessen post-imagery anxiety but only after a series of imagery trials. On the other hand, disconfirming information lessened risk estimation overall. The findings are related to the conceptualization of worry and imagery proposed by Borkovec and Hu (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 153-158 1990).