False Consensus Bias As Applied to Psychologically Disturbed Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 129410
• Journal: Adolescence Volume: 26 Issue: 101 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 1-6
• Author(s): L M Range; W C Goggin; P J Cantrell
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented in part at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, March 1984.

Annotation

In order to examine whether the false consensus bias applied to psychologically disturbed adolescents, outpatients at a rural mental health center who described themselves as very depressed or suicidal, and nondisturbed teenagers (who had no history of psychological treatment and were not at that time seeking psychological treatment), were asked to read a newspaper article about either a child's suicide or viral illness death.

Abstract

Both groups of adolescents, like adults in previous research, viewed the suicidal child and the surviving family more negatively than they did the child and survivors of a viral illness death. Further, consistent with the false consensus hypothesis, adolescent clients viewed either child as more psychologically disturbed than did nonclients. Also, clients, as compared to nonclients, viewed both parents as more psychologically disturbed prior to either child's death. Results somewhat support the hypothesis of a false consensus bias which operates for depressed, suicidal adolescents when they view the tragedy of a child's death, but not when they are making recommendations about psychological help for the surviving family. Results are interpreted as suggesting that adolescent outpatients either view therapy as not particularly beneficial or as not particularly appropriate for bereaved individuals. 6 references (Publisher abstract)