Journal Article

An Attribution Model of Public Discrimination Towards Persons with Mental Illness

Corrigan, Patrick, Markowitz, Fred E., Watson, Amy, Rowan, David, Kubiak, Mary Ann

2003

Overview

In this study, we build on previous work by developing and estimating a model of the relationships between causal attributions (e.g., controllability, responsibility), familiarity with mental illness, dangerousness, emotional responses (e.g., pity, anger, fear), and helping and rejecting responses. Using survey data containing responses to hypothetical vignettes, we examine these relationships in a sample of 518 community college students. Consistent with attribution theory, causal attributions affect beliefs about persons' responsibility for causing their condition, beliefs which in turn lead to affective reactions, resulting in rejecting responses such as avoidance, coercion, segregation, and withholding help. However, consistent with a danger appraisal hypothesis, the effects of perceptions of dangerousness on helping and rejecting responses are unmediated by responsibility beliefs. Much of the dangerousness effects operate by increasing fear, a particularly strong predictor of support for coercive treatment. The results from this study also suggest that familiarity with mental illness reduces discriminatory responses.

• Publisher: American Sociological Association
• Subject: Adult / Anger / Attitude to Health / Attitude towards mental illness / Attribution / Attribution theory / Attributions / Avoidance behavior / Behavior Theories / Behavioral Research / Beliefs / Biological and medical sciences / Causality / Coercion / College students / Community College Students / Community colleges / Discrimination / Diseases / Emotional expression / Emotional Response / Emotional responses / Emotions / Ethnic Groups / Familiarity / Fear / Fear & phobias / Female / Group Membership / Helping Behavior / Helping behaviour / Humans / Illnesses / Labeling (of Persons) / Male / Medical sciences / Mental Disorders / Mental Health Programs / Mental Illness / Midwestern United States / Minority Groups / Models, Psychological / Mood disorders / Pity / Polls & surveys / Prejudice / Psychological Patterns / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychopathology. Psychiatry / Rejection / Rejection (Psychology) / Responsibility / Schizophrenia / Segregation / Self Efficacy / Social Bias / Social Desirability / Social Environment / Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry / Social psychology / Social stigma / Stereotypes / Stereotyping / Students - psychology / Threat / Threats / Undergraduate Students / Universities / Vignettes / Withdrawal (Psychology)