The continuum of response to blood/injury stimuli as demonstrated by autonomic reactivity and affect

The purpose of this study was to examine the physiological and affective aspects of the reaction to blood/ injury (B/1) phobia in a normal population with varying levels of B/I fear. From a screening sample (n = 412), ninety subjects (age 18-20) were selected and assigned to groups (n = 30) on the basis of level of fear and avoidance of B/I stimuli as measured by the Fear Questionnaire (Marks & Matthews, 1979). Heart rate (HR) and skin temperature (ST) were measured to establish a baseline and while the subjects watched a graphic surgery video. The subjects also described their emotional state before and after the video by rating affectively laden adjectives from three classes (neutral, fear, disgust). After the video, each subject’s fainting history and experience with B/I stimuli were gathered through use of an interview. The same information was collected from the subjects’ parents through a mailed questionnaire. HR and ST changed significantly across the duration of the procedure, yet no differences were found according to fear group. HR and ST were noted to change in a pattern indicative of fear (Ekman, 1983) after a description of the video was read to the subjects at the end of baseline. Prior to the video, the neutral adjectives were rated highest by all groups, while after the video the high fear group rated the disgust adjectives highest. The primary conclusion of the study is that fear is experienced in anticipation of B/I stimuli, while disgust is experienced during exposure. It was also found that people high in B/I fear as compared to people lower in B/I fear report the following: more anxiety sensitivity; more general anxiety; more social anxiety; more discomfort when others are distressed; more direct, negative experiences, including fainting and feeling faint, with B/I stimuli; and more first degree relatives with similar experiences.