For certain disorders like arthritis and inflammatory

● For certain disorders, like arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, stress may trigger
symptoms or flare-ups of existing health issues.
5. Mood
● Mood influences self-appraised health.
● People who are in a positive mood rate themselves more healthy, report fewer illness-
related memories, and report fewer symptoms.
● People in a negative mood report more symptoms, are more pessimistic that any actions
they might take would relieve their symptoms, and perceive themselves as more
vulnerable to future illness than do people in positive moods.
● Even people who have diagnosed illnesses report fewer or less serious symptoms when
they are in a positive mood.
SUMMARY
● Symptom recognition is determined both by individual differences in attention to one’s body by
transitory situational factors that influence the direction of one’s attention. When attention is
directed outward, as by vigorous physical activity or a distracting environment, symptoms are

less likely to be noticed. When attention is directed toward the body, as by cues that suggest
illness, symptoms are more likely to be detected.
Interpretation of symptoms
● The interpretation of symptoms is also a heavily psychological process. Understanding the
contextual factors surrounding the symptom can often provide valuable clues about how it can be
interpreted.
● Ex: if a man went to the emergency room w his whole family bc they all had sore throats, it
would be assumed they’re overreacting, when in fact the man’s brother had died of Hodkin’s
disease, which is a cancer that enlarges lymph nodes. A sore throat isn't a huge red flag to most,
but it was for that family.
○ This example shows that individual, historical, cultural, and social factors all conspire to
produce an interpretation of the symptom experience.
● Social and psychological factors can be in understanding people’s interpretations of their
symptoms and their decisions to seek treatment.
Prior experience
● Interpretation of symptoms is heavily influenced by prior experience. People who have
experience with a medical condition estimate the prevalence of their symptoms to be greater and
often regard the condition as less serious than do people with no history of the condition.
● A symptom’s meaning is also influenced by how common it is within a person’s range of
acquaintances or culture. Highly prevalent risk factors and disorders are generally regarded as
less serious than are rare or distinctive risk factors and disorders.
● The very fact that the symptom or condition is widespread may be seen as a reason for attaching
little significance to it.
Socio-demographic factors
● Socio-demographic background can influence how people interpret symptoms, factors like
education levels and economic status, age, and gender. These are all factors associated w/ low
socio-economic status, male sex, and older age, suggesting that ppl with these socio-demographic
profiles may be less likely to correctly interpret serious health symptoms.