Expectancy effects on anxiety and self-generated cognitive strategies in high and low dental-anxious females.

Expectancy effects on self-reported anxiety and self-generated cognitive strategies were evaluated in a dental analogue by means of a film response questionnaire and an interview. Seventy-two female college subjects, half high and half low in self-reported dental fear were assigned to three levels of expectancy set (positive, fearful and neutral) induced by means of a slide presentation and verbal set. Although expectancy effects on post-film anxiety were not significant, differences due to dental fear level were found. Interview protocols were rated for general cognitive response style (coping, catastrophizing or no strategy), arousal and absorption. Discriminant function analysis between response styles indicated that arousal level provided a strong contribution to the discriminant functions differentiating between the general response styles, separating non-strategy users from catastrophizers. Specific ratings of reported absorption were related to whether or not cognitive coping strategies were used. Expectancy set was related to the direction of these cognitions. The findings validate the use of dental analogue studies for investigating dental fear.