| Description |
BRCA1 is a gene that, when mutated, confers a high risk of breast cancer in women. Psychological factors contributing to interest in BRCA1 testing were assessed. This study examines the relationship between need for certainty, type of information presented about the genetic test, and interest levels in BRCA1 testing. It also assesses correlates of interest in this type of genetic test. Subjects were 193 female college students, ages 18-30. Subjects were assessed on two subscales of the Need for Closure Scale (Webster and Kruglanski, unpublished). These included Preference for Predictability and Discomfort with Ambiguity. These scales constituted the need for certainty measure. All subjects read the same information about the genetic test with one exception: half of the subjects read an additional paragraph in which the uncertainty of the eventual health outcome, even if one is found D.Q1 to have the gene mutation, was emphasized. It was explained to them that even if they are given a negative test result (meaning that the gene abnormality is not present), they may still develop breast cancer for other reasons. Most cases of breast cancer are D.Q1 hereditary in nature but are caused by reasons that are unknown. In a multiple regression analysis, the interaction of need for certainty and experimental condition was marginally significant (p=.06) in predicting levels of interest, but the overall regression equation was not significant. Other cognitive and emotional variables were significantly correlated with interest levels. The most strongly correlated variables were cancer concern and breast cancer concern. These results may have implications for the informed consent protocols for BRCA1 testing. They also offer information about the demand for BRCA1 population testing. |
