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Decision-Making among Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: Complementary Roles of Emotion and Cognition

Conley, Claire Cecile
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1496332522182791

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Psychology.
Women with a high risk of breast cancer have options for reducing risk, including surgery (mastectomy and/or oophorectomy), chemoprevention, and lifestyle changes. However, the ways in which women decide whether or not to pursue these options is not well understood. Both cognitive factors (e.g., perceived risk, perceived seriousness, attitudes) and emotional factors (e.g., cancer-related distress, emotion regulation) play a role in the decision-making process, but have not been tested as a single, integrated model. The present study investigates an innovative dual-pathway model of decision-making in a sample of women at high risk for breast cancer (N = 103). A single group, cross-sectional design was used. Participants self-reported cognitions about breast cancer risk (perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness), attitudes about risk-reducing behaviors, cancer-related distress, emotion regulation, and intentions for risk-reducing behaviors. Mediation analyses examined hypothesized relationships between cognitive variables in predicting behavioral intentions, while moderation analyses examined hypothesized relationships between emotional variables in predicting behavioral intentions. Significant moderating effects of reappraisal were found for emotion-based models predicting mastectomy intentions (p = 0.04; 95% C.I. = [0.01, 0.03]) and chemoprevention intentions (p = 0.02; 95% C.I. = [0.01, 0.03]). No significant effects were observed for cognitive mediation models (all ps > 0.05; 95% C.I. lower bound = -0.03 – -0.01; 95% C.I. upper bound = 0.01 – 0.02). Results indicate that: 1) emotion regulation strategy use plays a significant role in risk-management decision-making; and 2) risk-management decisions are made independent of perceived severity. Results contribute to knowledge of decisional processes among women at high risk for breast cancer and highlight the need for modifications to existing health decision-making models. Specific targets for decision-making support interventions are identified.
Barbara Andersen, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Charles Emery, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Richard Petty, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
192 p.
Psychology
breast cancer; risk management; attitudes; emotion regulation; decision-making

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Conley, C. C. (2017). Decision-Making among Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: Complementary Roles of Emotion and Cognition [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1496332522182791

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Conley, Claire. Decision-Making among Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: Complementary Roles of Emotion and Cognition. 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1496332522182791.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Conley, Claire. "Decision-Making among Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: Complementary Roles of Emotion and Cognition." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1496332522182791

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.