Effects of Perceived Disease Prognosis on Stigmatization
Digital Document
Document
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Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/20002:860675909
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Persons |
Persons
Creator (cre): Garg, Seema
Major Advisor (mja): Farina, Amerigo
Associate Advisor (asa): Getter, Herbert
Associate Advisor (asa): Fisher, Jeffrey D.
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Title |
Title
Title Non-Sort
The
Title
Effects of Perceived Disease Prognosis on Stigmatization
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Origin Information |
Origin Information
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Parent Item |
Parent Item
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Resource Type |
Resource Type
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Digital Origin |
Digital Origin
reformatted digital
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Description |
Description
Genital herpes is rapidly becoming a major medical and social problem in the United States. Afflicted victims are faced with an incurable medical condition which may have great consequences for their social lives. Past research on medical and mental blemishes has shown that beliefs about such conditions are strong predictors of stigmatization, especially in the early phases of social interactions. The research suggests that beliefs about the future prognosis of herpes are likely to have a significant impact on how an afflicted victim is treated by others. This relationship between perceived prognosis and stigmatization was the main focus of the present investigation. In addition, the effects of sex of herpes victim and sex of stigmatizing others on stigmatization are investigated. This study uses a 2 x 2 x 2 design, in which sex of victim, sex of stigmatizing other, and perceived disease prognosis are varied. Results indicate that the experimental manipulation of beliefs about the future course of herpes was successful. Factor analysis of the data revealed three meaningful factors. Further analyses using MA- NOVAs also revealed a significant relationship between perceived prognosis and the social detriment factor. In addition, there was a significant effect of subject sex in terms of the group success factor. Last, there was a strong trend for male subjects to view the disease as more socially detrimental than females. When variables were grouped together on a theoretical basis, the experimental effects proved to be even more statistically significant. Course of disease was found to influence self-reports of how comfortable subjects reported they felt while in the company of a herpes victim. Subjects reported that they felt more comfortable when in the company of a victim they perceived as highly curable than when in the company of someone they considered incurable. In addition, subjects rated victims as healthier and more intelligent in the high cure group than in the low cure group. Behavioral results were equivocal in terms of degree of stigmatization and discomfort demonstrated by subjects in the two prognosis conditions. In terms of perceived social success with others, subjects tended to predict that victims in both prognosis conditions would have few problems in being accepted by others, especially in the context of a herpes support group. Female subjects tended to rate their interactions with victims as more pleasant than male subjects. There were no subject sex effects for perceived social success with other people in general, or for perceived curability of the disease. Female subjects, however, were more positive about the benefits of group therapy for victims. While this study was not primarily designed to check on the effects of victim's sex on stigmatization, current results can be treated as suggestive of the effects of this factor. Results indicate that male victims were rated as significantly calmer than female victims. Behavioral measures suggest that female victims are less stigmatized than male victims. Consistent with this finding, subjects believed male victims would be more socially hampered by their disease than female victims when interacting with nonvictims. This sex effect did not extend to beliefs about predicted social success in a herpes support group. Lastly, subjects did not significantly differ in predictions of curability of disease as a function of the victim's sex. Further implications of these findings are discussed.
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Genre
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Organizations |
Organizations
Degree granting institution (dgg): University of Connecticut
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Extent |
Extent
viii, 125 leaves, bound ; 28 cm
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Rights Statement |
Rights Statement
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Use and Reproduction |
Use and Reproduction
These materials are provided for educational and research purposes only.
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Local Identifier |
Local Identifier
39153020805406
14268916
ASC Thesis 6824
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