Physical proximity in anticipation of meeting someone with schizophrenia: the role of explicit evaluations, implicit evaluations and cortisol levels.
It has been suggested that the study of the stigma of mental illness should include more behavioral measures and further investigation of the possible importance of implicit evaluations in predicting responses to those with such illness. In the current paper, we report a study testing the relationship of implicit and explicit evaluations to physical proximity and cortisol levels in anticipation of meeting someone with schizophrenia. The results showed that both explicit evaluations and cortisol levels independently predicted physical proximity. Implicit evaluations were not related to either physical proximity or cortisol levels. The findings suggest that there are aspects of emotional response to those with mental illness that are not reflected in explicit measures of evaluation and that these, as well as explicit responses, can contribute to the prediction of behavior.
Norman
Ross M G
RM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, 392 South Street, London N6A 4G5, Canada. rnorman@uwo.ca
Gawronski
Bertram
B
Hampson
Elizabeth
E
Sorrentino
Richard M
RM
Szeto
Andrew
A
Ye
Yang
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011287:Prejudice; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D006854:Hydrocortisone