ATTITUDES TOWARD CANCER - A CROSS-CULTURAL-COMPARISON OF NEPALESE ANDUNITED-STATES STUDENTS

The Cancer Metaphors Test, a measure designed to assess the imagery of cancer, was administered to samples of Nepalese (n = 228) and U.S. (n = 184) graduate students. For both samples, no significant age, gende r, or field of study differences were obtained, but Nepalese students scored higher than U.S. students on both Terminal Pessimism and Future Optimism. Within each sample, scores on pessimism were higher than sc ores on optimism. An analysis of the individual metaphors suggested so me differences but also substantial commonality of endorsement.