@article{discovery1544876,
            note = {This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.},
          volume = {32},
           pages = {402--421},
           month = {January},
          number = {4},
         journal = {Psychology and Health},
       publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD},
           title = {No blank slates: Pre-existing schemas about pharmaceuticals predict memory for side effects},
            year = {2017},
            issn = {1476-8321},
          author = {Heller, MK and Chapman, SCE and Horne, R},
        abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Attribution of symptoms as medication side effects is informed by pre-existing beliefs about medicines and perceptions of personal sensitivity to their effects (pharmaceutical schemas). We tested whether (1) pharmaceutical schemas were associated with memory (recall/recognition) for side effect information (2) memory explained the attribution of a common unrelated symptom as a side effect.


DESIGN: In this analogue study participants saw the patient leaflet of a fictitious asthma drug listing eight side effects.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured recall and recognition memory for side effects and used a vignette to test whether participants attributed an unlisted common symptom (headache) as a side effect.

RESULTS: Participants who perceived pharmaceuticals as more harmful in general recalled fewer side effects correctly (rCorrect Recall = ?.273), were less able to differentiate between listed and unlisted side effects (rRecognition Sensitivity = ?.256) and were more likely to attribute the unlisted headache symptom as a side effect (rside effect attribution = .381, ps {\ensuremath{<}} .01). The effect of harm beliefs on side effect attribution was partially mediated by correct recall of side effects.

CONCLUSION: Pharmaceutical schemas are associated with memory for side effect information. Memory may explain part of the association between pharmaceutical schemas and the attribution of unrelated symptoms as side effects.},
             url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2016.1273355},
        keywords = {Science \& Technology, Social Sciences, Life Sciences \& Biomedicine, Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health, Psychology, Multidisciplinary, Psychology, Pharmaceutical Schemas, Memory, Side Effects, Beliefs About Medicines, Questionnaire, Perceived Sensitivity To Medicines Scale, Fuzzy-Trace Theory, Rheumatoid-Arthritis, Medical Information, Attentional Biases, Medicines, Beliefs, Adherence, Illness, Representation, Sensitivity}
}