Gender differences in symptom reporting: the influence of psychological traits. Laura Goodwin Dr Stephen Fairclough Liverpool John Moores University BACKGROUND. The process of symptom perception represents a bridge between physiological activity and psychological appraisal. It is influenced by many factors, such as: Perception of physiological activity Attention (selective bias) Trait personality variables Existing beliefs about health and illness The ‘Competition of Cues’ hypothesis proposes that there is competition for attentional resources between internal bodily cues and external cues (Pennebaker, 1982). Therefore, a stimulating, rich environment will draw attention from internal sources, whereas monotonous environments tend to focus attention to the self and somatic symptoms (Pennebaker, 1982). Kolk, Hanewald, Schlagen & Gijsbers van Wijk (2002) found that selective attention to the body was an important predictor of somatic symptoms, with those reporting a higher tendency to be sensitive to internal bodily processes reporting a greater number of somatic symptoms. Women tend to report a greater frequency of physical symptoms compared to men (Popay et al., 1993; Verbrugge, 1989; Pennebaker, 1982; Vassend, 1989). It has been proposed that men and women use different coping strategies once a symptom has been detected (Gijsbers van Wijk & Kolk, 1997). Aims of the study: 1.To develop a subjective measure of symptom reporting that is multifaceted. 2.To examine the influence of gender on symptom reporting. METHOD. Cross-sectional study. 195 undergraduate students were recruited. Males (N = 102; Mean age – (S.D. 2.45)) Females (N = 93; Mean age – (S.D. 2.18)) Participants completed a questionnaire comprising the following measures: Private Body Consciousness scale – assesses attention to internal physical sensations. Cognitive Failures – a measure of error frequency, and therefore related to attention to the self at the expense of attention to the external world (Vervaeke et al., 1999). Positive and Negative Affect Schedule – developed to measure positive and negative mood. Student Hassles – no. of current hassles/stressors. Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale Symptom Report Questionnaire Development of a New Symptom Report Questionnaire. The aim was to develop a holistic measure for the symptom reporting process. The symptom report consists of 66 symptoms. Based on the Pennebaker Inventory of Linguid Languidness (1982), which was later adapted by Gijsbers van Wijk & Kolk (1996). In addition to ‘frequency of symptoms’ the questionnaire asks about the following symptom constructs: Duration of symptom Severity of symptom Worry as a result of symptom Disruption to daily life due to symptom The questionnaire will allow examination of the relationships between symptom frequency and the symptom related constructs. Table 1. Correlations of the symptom constructs. FINDINGS. Linear multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate which variables predicted frequency of symptoms. Males and females were analysed together and independently. Males & Females. Males. Females. Conclusion. Frequency was not highly correlated with duration, severity, worry or disruption. Suggests these are additional components. Females reported more physical symptoms than males. Findings suggest that men report symptoms typically when internal focus is heightened, whereas the process may be influenced by stress and emotional factors in females. Acknowledgements: This project has been funded by the HSE (contract no. 6045). CorrelationsNo. of symptoms DurationSeverityWorryDisruption No. of symptoms Duration 1.331**.341**.315** Severity 1.663**.608** Worry 1.797** Gender (  =.245)** No. of health problems (  =.360)** Negative Affect (  =.166)* Private Body Consciousness (  =.170)* Cognitive Failures (  =.178)** Frequency of symptoms (R ² = 0.269)** Gender was a significant predictor of symptom reporting, indicating that females reported more symptoms than males. Negative affect, PBC and Cognitive Failures were all significant predictors, suggesting that individuals with increased negative mood and internally focused attention reported more symptoms. No. of health Problems (  =.174)* Private Body Consciousness (  =.309)** Cognitive Failures (  =.255)** Frequency of symptoms (R ² = 0.285)** For males, number of health problems and both variables relating to attention to the self were found to be significant predictors of symptom reporting. Negative Affect (  =.247)* Student Hassles (  =.202) Frequency of symptoms (R ² = 0.137)** For females, negative affectivity and number of hassles (stressors) were found to be the strongest predictors of symptom reporting.