Abstract
The influence of somatosensory amplification and stress responses on the hypochondriacal tendency was investigated in a sample of normal participants, based on the perspective of the cognitive developmental model of hypohondriasis. The Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS), the Illness Attitude Scales (IAS), the Stress Response Scale and the STAI-Y Trait Anxiety Scale were administered to 273 undergraduate students. The results indicated that SSAS influenced IAS, and that stress influenced SSAS and IAS. These findings suggest that somatosensory amplification also influenced the hypochondriasis tendency in normal participants, and that stress was useful for understanding the mechanisms of the development of this condition.
