Mental Illness through A Linguistic Lens: The Effects of Lexicalization on Entity Theories and Stigma Surrounding Mental Disorders

Abstract

This thesis is looking at how lexicalization contributes to perceptions of four different types of mental disorders, schizophrenia, anorexia, depression, and developmental disability. Perceptions of these mental disorders vary across entity theory beliefs and measures of stigmatization, and differences in the linguistic terms used to describe the disorders can add to this variation. Research indicates that lexicalized terms encourage entity theories and that entity theories may lead to harmful stigmatization. The findings of this study are discussed in terms of similarities and differences relative to the research.