Monitoring styles in women at risk for cervical cancer: Implications for the framing of health-relevant messages

Abstract

We explored the interaction effects of individual attentional style (high versus low monitoring) and the framing of informational messages on the responses of women undergoing diagnostic follow-up (colposcopy) for precancerous cervical lesions. Prior to the colposcopic procedure, patients (N=76) were randomly assigned to one of three preparatory conditions: (a) Loss-framed message, which emphasized the cost of nonadherence to screening recommendations; (b) Gain-framed message, which emphasized the benefit of adherence; and (c) Neutrally-framed message. It was hypothesized that low monitors (who are more positively biased about their health) would show a more adaptive pattern of response to loss-framed information than high monitors (who are more negatively biased about their health). The results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were consistent with this prediction. Low monitoring was associated with greater knowledge retention (beta=.61, p<.05) and less canceling/rescheduling of follow-up appointments in the loss condition than in the neutral condition (beta=.82, p<.002). High monitoring, however, was associated with greater intrusive ideation when information was presented in the loss-oriented frame as compared to the neutral frame (beta=.99, p<.01). Knowledge retention and screening adherence were not affected by the framing manipulation. The differences between high versus low monitors as a function of loss or neutral frame suggest an interaction effect, wherein both the type of framing message and the individual's attentional style lead to distinctive cognitive-affective and behavioral patterns. The findings may have clinical implications for the tailoring of health messages to the individual's signature style.

Monitoring coping style moderates emotional reactions to genetic testing for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer: a longitudinal study

“…In many medical contexts, high monitors have been found to fare better when provided with detailed, but reassuring, information about their situation [65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75]. The information presented to them should be ample and accurate but framed less negatively, in a manner that distances or cools it, so their sense of vulnerability and distress does not panic them [37].…”

Prostate Cancer Screening Behavior in Men from Seven Ethnic Groups: the Fear Factor

“…In its original form, the Monitoring-Blunting Style Scale asks individuals to imagine four hypothetical stress evoking and highly uncontrollable scenes and has been reliably related to health behavior (81,82), including both breast (83) and cervical screening frequency (78). Although we are aware of no testretest information for abridged versions, those for the full scale typically average around 0.80 over 3 months (84) and 6 months (83), with an internal reliability of z0.70 (77).…”

Using health communication best practices to develop a web-based provider–patient communication aid: The CONNECT™ study

“…We also recognized the importance of developing interventions that are theory driven. The Cognitive-Social Health Information Processing Model (C-SHIP) [66][67][68] provides a theoretical framework for the design of interventions to enhance decision-making and facilitate cancer risk communication. Specifically relevant to understanding behavior change and breast cancer risk, the C-SHIP framework includes variables such as cancer-related knowledge and perceived vulnerability, self-efficacy beliefs, distress, values and goals and self-regulatory strategies which have been shown to characterize and predict health behaviors among patients across the cancer continuum [68].…”