A skin biopsy is one of the most frequently performed pro cedures in the dermatology outpatient clinic, but doctors often do not consider the cognitive impact of the biopsy procedure. Based on "terror management theory," we reasoned that a skin biopsy increases patient compliance by unconsciously stimulating mortality salience. To study this hypothesis, trust toward doctors, authoritarian per sonality, mood, attitude toward recommendations, and intention to accept recommendations were compared

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... e tween skin biopsy and nonskin biopsy groups of patients. Eightythree patients participated in the study, and 78 responses were used for the analysis. The results showed that patients who had a skin biopsy had a more positive at titude toward doctors' recommendations and a higher in tention to follow the recommendations. These effects were not moderated by the patient's own personality (patient trust and authoritarian personality). The outcome of this study implies that performing a procedure itself can sub liminally influence a patient's attitude toward a doctor's recommendations.