First, the confusion of "schizophrenia" with multiple personality disorder, or more appropriately, DID. (Students are often quick to argue that "schizophrenia" means "split brain" as though that proves it means MPD.) Students probably can't be blamed, since the media use the adjective "schizophrenic" so frequently to imply there are two ways of looking at things or that a person is duplicitous.
The second is the mispronunciation of "schizophrenia." (Maybe that will engender another TIPS discussion as did the earlier one of neuron "buttons/boutons.")
Third is the concept that people on the street/homeless are usually schizophrenic. This is always a good example of critical thinking, since once students factor in the possible effects of sleeplessness, fear, hunger, depression, substance abuse and the necessity for carrying all your belongings with you, they see the homeless in a different light. (Of course the rates of schiz. and other mental disorders are believed to be higher for the homeless, but the last I recall it was closer to 30%.)
And fourth is the assertion that schizophrenia can be "cured" with medication. This isn't surprising coming from a generation that was raised to believe there's a pill for everything.
Beth Benoit
University System of New Hampshire
on 7/21/01 1:21 PM, Jeff Ricker at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I was wondering if anyone had some examples of common student
misconceptions about the field of abnormal psychology. I would like to
address some of these misconceptions when I teach the course.
Jeff
--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
Listowner: Psychologists Educating Students to Think Skeptically (PESTS)
http://www.sc.maricopa.edu/sbscience/pests/index.html
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