Changes in Health Perceptions after Exposure to Human Suffering: Using Discrete Emotions to Understand Underlying Processes

Background: The aim of this study was to examine whether exposure to human suffering is associated with negative changes in perceptions about personal health. We further examined the relation of possible health perception changes, to changes in five discrete emotions (i.e., fear, guilt, hostility/anger, and joviality), as a guide to understand the processes underlying health perception changes, provided that each emotion conveys information regarding triggering conditions. Methodology/Findings: An experimental group (N = 47) was exposed to images of human affliction, whereas a control group (N = 47) was exposed to relaxing images. Participants in the experimental group reported more health anxiety and health value, as well as lower health-related optimism and internal health locus of control, in comparison to participants exposed to relaxing images. They also reported more fear, guilt, hostility and sadness, as well as less joviality. Changes in each health perception were related to changes in particular emotions. Conclusion: These findings imply that health perceptions are shaped in a constant dialogue with the representations about the broader world. Furthermore, it seems that the core of health perception changes lies in the acceptance that personal well-being is subject to several potential threats, as well as that people cannot fully control many of the factors the determine their own well-being

Health anxiety, health optimism, health value, and internal health locus of control before and after the exposure to images.

<p>Health anxiety (A) health value (C) were significantly increased after participants were exposed to images of suffering (experimental group) while these measures were unaffected for the participants of the control group. On the contrary, health optimism (B) and internal health locus of control (D) were decreased in the experimental group after the experiment while the control group remained unaffected. Error bars represent +/− 95% CI.</p

Descriptive Statistics and Intercorrelations of Health Perceptions and Emotions.

<p>Descriptive Statistics and Intercorrelations of Health Perceptions and Emotions for the Entire Sample Before the Experiment (N = 94).</p><p><i>Note.</i> SD = Standard deviation. HLoC = Health locus of control.</p>†<p><i>p</i><.10, * <i>p</i><.05, ** <i>p</i><.01.</p

Post-experiment Correlations (Pearson's r) of Health Perceptions Changes to Discrete Emotions Changes for the Experimental and the Control Group.

<p>The Post-experiment Correlations (Pearson's r) of Health Perceptions Changes to Discrete Emotions Changes (Pre-Post Experiment) for Each Group.</p>†<p><i>p</i> = .06, * <i>p</i><.05, ** <i>p</i><.01.</p

The Significant Mean Differences Among the Experimental and the Control Group.

<p>The mean differences among the experimental and the control group before and after the experiment as derived from the repeated measured MANOVA, the corresponding t-tests and confidence intervals.</p><p><i>Note.</i> HLoC = Health locus of control.</p>*<p><i>p</i><.05, ** <i>p</i><.01, *** <i>p</i><.001.</p

Personal Health Perceptions and the Specific Emotions Before and After the Experiment.

<p>Means and Standard Deviations (in Parentheses).</p><p><i>Note.</i> HLoC = Health locus of control.</p