The Blame Game: Cervical Cancer, Knowledge of Its Link to Human Pappilomavirus and Stigma
This research examined stigma toward women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection. For Study 1, participants (N = 352) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they read a brief description of a patient with (1) cerv...
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| Format: | Others |
| Language: | English English |
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Florida State University
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| Online Access: | http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-7600 |
| Summary: | This research examined stigma toward women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection. For Study 1, participants (N = 352) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they read a brief description of a patient with (1) cervical cancer/cause unspecified; (2) cervical cancer/cause (HPV) specified; (3) ovarian cancer/cause unspecified; or (4) ovarian cancer/cause (family history) specified. A significant cancer type-by-cause interaction was observed, such that participants in the cervical cancer/cause specified condition displayed the most stigma toward the patient. Participants in the cervical cancer/cause specified condition were more likely to rate the patient as dirty, dishonest, and unwise and reported feeling more moral disgust and "grossed out," and less sympathy than participants in the cervical cancer/cause unspecified condition. For study 2, participants (N = 126) were randomly assigned to read a vignette about a patient with cervical cancer in which the cause of cancer was either specified or unspecified. Consistent with Study 1, participants in the cause specified condition rated the patient as more unwise and reported feeling more moral disgust and "grossed out" than participants in the unspecified condition. In addition, the relationship between experimental condition and expressions of stigma was mediated by blame attributions. These findings add to the literature on health-related stigma and provide preliminary evidence for the use of more subtle indicators of stigma and the importance of the role of blame in this process. === A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. === Spring Semester, 2013. === November 30, 2012. === blame, cervical cancer, emotion, health, HPV, stigma === Includes bibliographical references. === Mary A. Gerend, Professor Directing Thesis; Jesse R. Cougle, Committee Member; E. Ashby Plant, Committee Member. |
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