Dispelling the Stigma of Schizophrenia, III: The Role of Target Gender, Laboratory-Induced Contact, and Factual Information

Abstract In this study, we investigated whether “fact sheets,” which summarize the relationship between schizophrenia and violent behavior, can reduce stigma toward actual persons with schizophrenia. We also investigated whether laboratory-induced contact, in the form of repeated videotape presentation of a person with schizophrenia, could also impact stigma. Finally, we examined whether the role of laboratory-induced contact and factual information would have a stronger effect on stigma toward males with schizophrenia relative to females with schizophrenia. Two hundred and fifteen undergraduate students were randomly assigned to three variables: Information about schizophrenia (label only; basic information about the disorder; information about the violence rates of schizophrenia compared to other disorders); Contact (watching a videotape of a person with schizophrenia once or twice); and Target Gender (viewing either a male or female with schizophrenia). Participants also completed a battery of stigma measures. The results showed a significant effect for only Target Gender; participants rated the female with schizophrenia more negatively than the male with schizophrenia. However, when differences in social behaviors were considered, this pattern was reversed. Finally, male participants tended to be more stigmatizing in their ratings than female participants were.