Identifier

72

Date

2016

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Psychology

Concentration

General Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey S. Berman

Committee Member

Melloni N. Cook

Abstract

This study is an investigation of how a practically applied intervention for the public's stigma of mental illness operates across types of mental illness. The intervention, imagined contact, is mental simulation of social interaction. This study examined its effects on stigma across mental disorders that the general public thinks are neurological; or something one can't help, faulty brain wiring, etc.; and disorders the public thinks are psychosocial or due to incorrect thinking and social settings, etc. This study used an elaborate and detailed imagined contact scenario to reduce stigma of disorders and compared this with control groups. The stigma of mental illness was measured empirically with a series of scales quantifying affective reaction (feelings), social distancing (not socially engaging with the people), and dangerousness (fear). Results indicated that type of illness does not have an effect on imagined contact as an established stigma intervention except in the domain of affect. Stigma was significantly reduced in the domains of thoughts (dangerousness) and behaviors (social distancing) by imagined contact, but not in the domain of affect (affective reaction).

Comments

Undergraduate Honor's Thesis

Library Comment

Honors thesis originally submitted to the Local University of Memphis Honor’s Thesis Repository.

Notes

Data is provided by the student.

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