L. Higgins et Lm. Range, DOES INFORMATION THAT A SUICIDE VICTIM WAS PSYCHIATRICALLY DISTURBED REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONTAGION, Journal of applied social psychology, 26(9), 1996, pp. 781-785
For example, psychological disturbance is stigmatizing, so knowledge t
hat the suicide victim was psychiatrically disturbed may decrease the
possibility that others will imitate the act. To assess this possibili
ty, 306 undergraduate volunteers read a fictitious newspaper article a
bout a 16-year-old high school sophomore, Pat, who committed suicide.
There were 7 variations of the article, 4 containing negative circumst
ances (psychiatric disturbance, romantic relationship breakup, parents
' divorce, alcohol problems), and 2 containing positive circumstances
(being a varsity athlete, being an honors student). A control group re
ceived no information about circumstances. Knowledge of Pat's life cir
cumstances had no effect on respondents' estimates of the possibility
of the suicide being imitated, but did affect attitudes about the suic
idal act itself and attitudes toward Pat's family. Apparently the circ
umstances surrounding the suicide have no affect on respondents' estim
ates of themselves following suit, but do affect how they see the vict
im and bereaved family.