Effects of Metaphor on Mental Illness Stigma Across Cultures

Abstract

Research on metaphor has shown that using metaphors in language can significantly influence how individuals think and reason about complex topics, including mental illness. Extending this research, this study examines the effects of war metaphors on mental illness stigma across various cultural groups (Asian American, Black American, Latino American, and White American). Each participant was randomly assigned to read either that people with mental illness must mount a complicated offensive (attacking metaphor) or defensive (shielding metaphor) against the disease. Afterward, participants read a vignette about a man named John who was described as having symptoms of schizophrenia and indicated how much social distance they would prefer to keep from John. Participants then completed a general mental illness stigma scale, and the Collective Self-Esteem Scale, which measures the degree to which people identify with their cultural group. It was predicted that participants from cultures whose stigma emanates from a desire for strength and control (most common among Black and Latino Americans) should be more influenced by the offensive metaphors than the defensive metaphors. However, Latino Americans showed less stigma than other cultural groups, and effects of metaphor on stigma did not vary reliably as a function of race in this sample. The findings also revealed that for Asian, Black, and Latino Americans, the more they identified with their cultural group, the less stigma they displayed. However, the opposite was observed among White Americans. The findings also revealed that men showed a greater desire for social distance when in the attacking condition compared to the shielding condition, and women showed the opposite pattern. Overall, the study's findings showed that the metaphor read by participants did not have a significant effect on the participants' mental illness stigma overall, but may have as a function of gender.