PREPARATION TO RE-EXPERIENCE A STRESSFUL MEDICAL-EXAMINATION - EFFECT OF REPETITIOUS VIDEOTAPE EXPOSURE AND COPING STYLE

36 22-80 yr old patient volunteers, experienced in the stressful endoscopy examination, were prepared to reexperience that examination by viewing an explicit videotaped endoscopy either 0, 1, or 3 times. All Ss were given the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a Modified Repression-Sensitization Scale (Epstein & Fenz, 1967), and the Post-Endoscopy Interview Schedule. Patients were classified as having either a repressing or sensitizing coping style. On dependent anxiety measures including heart-rate change, behavioral ratings, and self-report, tape viewing generally resulted in decreased anxiety in sensitizers, and had no effect or produced increased anxiety in repressors. When the data were analyzed ignoring repression-sensitization coping style, tape viewing produced little effect. Results are discussed in terms of the accurate information and extinction theories of preparation effects. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.