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Biomedical subjects

F T Cullen

Publications and source records attributed to F T Cullen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Avoiding drunk drivers: the level and sources of protective behavior.

Drunk driving has been a concern for a decade and a half, with most discussions of its control centering on offenders. Research on the extent to which citizens engage in behaviors to avoid becoming victims of drunk drivers, however, is in short supply. This project examines the level of participation in protective behaviors, and it assesses the potential sources of self- and other-protection. Our findings indicate that substantial proportions of citizens take action to protect themselves and others from victimization by drunk drivers. We also find limited support for the fear/victimization model and no support for a collective security explanation of protective behavior.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1991

The effectiveness of stigma coping orientations: can negative consequences of mental illness labeling be avoided?

Recent research has assigned a prominent role to labeling and stigma as factors that impair the social and psychological functioning of people officially labeled mentally ill. But can the effects of labeling and stigma be overcome by adopting a few simple approaches to coping with these problems? If so, the stigma-induced problems of social awkwardness, demoralization and unemployment emphasized by recent research may not be as severe as claimed. Using a sample of psychiatric patients, we examine this issue by assessing whether patients can ameliorate labeling effects by keeping their history of treatment a secret, educating others about their situation, or avoiding situations in which rejection might occur. None of these coping orientations were effective in diminishing negative labeling effects on unemployment or on psychological distress/demoralization. In fact, the three coping strategies show consistent effects in the direction of producing more harm than good, and with respect to withdrawal-avoidance this effect is significant. Based on these results we argue that stigma is powerfully reinforced by culture and that its effects are not easily overcome by the coping actions of individuals. Using C. Wright Mills's (1967) distinction we conclude that labeling and stigma are "social problems" not "individual troubles."

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Reconsidering the social rejection of ex-mental patients: levels of attitudinal response.

Public attitudes are conceptualized as involving four levels: the ideal level, the level of expressed attitudes, the level of attitudes as acted upon, and the deep level. While direct assessments of these attitude levels are not possible, three indicators are developed to serve as preliminary assessments. An experiment was conducted in which labeling information (labeled a mental hospital patient vs. not labeled), behavior ("normal man" vs. "anxiety neurotic" vignettes), and the three indicators of attitude level were varied. A sample of 153 persons in a small midwestern city was asked to assess the vignette material presented to them by answering five social distance questions. The results showed that when an individual is labeled, ideal attitudes are more positive than attitudes as expressed. These are, in turn, more positive than an indicator of attitudes as acted upon and deep attitudes. Future research should develop strategies which assess these deeper attitudes before conclusions are made about the public's acceptance of former mental patients.

Attitude↗