UC Riverside

Objective: The current technology of cervical cancer screening via pelvic exam and Pap test is sophisticated enough to detect and treat most cases of cervical cancer, subsequently thwarting the development of invasive and fatal forms of cervical cancer. However, failure to maintain a regular screening schedule remains a major obstacle to early detection. Women often report feeling vulnerable as patients of this procedure, suggesting that psychosocial experiences may contribute to underutilization of Pap tests. The theory of embodied cognition posits that bodily experiences can influence seemingly abstract or visceral mental states via nonconscious processes. The current study explores how patients' individual differences relate to their experiences of a laboratory-based simulation of a reproductive health screening. Another goal of this study is to target womens' experiences via an embodied prime (i.e., seating posture). Method: Participants were randomly assigned to hold either open or closed postures, or received no instructions regarding specific seating posture during a mock medical interaction with a researcher. Results: The findings of the current study indicate that patients' seating postures interacted with individual difference variables to predict subjective appraisals of the medical simulation and health-related outcomes. Conclusions: Individual differences play an important role in women's reproductive health screening experiences. Embodied interventions may be valuable resource to improve patients' health-related experiences and potentially facilitate adherence to screening recommendations.