Suchergebnisse

Negating false ideas of anxiety-provoking events, by itself, may increase popular fears, but new correct or incorrect information reduces perceived threat & promotes `healthy' att's. 4 messages concerned with explanations of catatonic schizophrenia & 2 with other topics (for control purposes) were administered singly to 192 undergraduate students at the U of Illinois. 2 of the `catatonic' messages (one psychol'al & one physical) gave plausible explanations & treatments. 2 messages (one psychol'al & one physical) gave false information. All messages were equal in length & similar in format. Each S participating in the supposed study of `writing styles' was given 1 of the 6 messages at random to read & then asked to make attitude ratings & answer other questions. Att's concerning mental illness, patients, & clinicians were measured by a special form of the Osgood Semantic Differential Scale including scales of the activity, potency, evaluative, & understandability dimensions. Additionally, S's receiving one of the `catatonic' messages were asked whether or not they thought the suggested patient treatment would work. The findings were that: (1) the 4 explanations were all relatively convincing, (2) the 4 messages (2 plausible & 2 false) produced signif'ly diff att's by `t' test concerning catatonic schizophrenia than did the control messages. Regardless of the plausibility or falsity of the messages, 'S's receiving the `catatonic' messages rated the concept as more `valuable', `less potent,' `less active,' & more `understandable' than those receiving the control messages.' Test & control S's gave diff att's toward `mental illness' on the activity & potency dimensions, & toward the concept of 'psychiatrist' on the 'understandability' factor, & (4) 'analysis of variance showed no signif diff's between `physical' & 'psychol'al' or `plausible' & `false' messages.' These findings can not be explained on the basis that the S's had never before heard of catatonic schizophrenia, but on the basis that it being associated with pain, embarrassment, & danger, people tend to accept any authoritative-sounding information purporting to cure it. C. M. Coughenour.