Health and Social Representations: A Structural Approach

Marie-Anastasie Aim; Thibaut Decarsin; Inna Bovina; Lionel Dany

Marie-Anastasie Aim Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France
Thibaut Decarsin Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France
Inna Bovina Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Forensic psychology, Moscow, Russia
Lionel Dany Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France / APHM, Timone, Service d’Oncologie Médicale, Marseille, France

Keywords: social representations, structural approach, method, health

Abstract

Since the development of the theory of social representations (Moscovici, 1961/1976), many studies have focused on health-related objects. Although the social representation of health has already been studied through a socio-genetic/anthropological approach (Herzlich, 1969), it has never been studied in relation to the central core theory (Abric, 1994). Health is a complex and composite object, but it is also normative and normalised. The aim of this research was to underline the representational content of such an object of social representation. To do so, 120 participants took part in the study. They were asked to complete a verbal association task and the data were processed by using both rank-frequency processing and importance-frequency processing as well as similarity analysis. Findings showed an impact of the method on the centrality hypothesis. Well-being and (absence of) illness appeared as the central elements in the case of rank-frequency processing, while only well-being was highlighted as a central element in the case of importance-frequency processing. In addition, the similarity analysis enabled us to identify five clusters around which health-related representation is organised (positive feelings and health-related assets, overall health, health-related expressions, medical health, and health management/monitoring). The discussion of these results will focus on the characteristics of the object, but also on theoretical-methodological aspects.

Author Biographies

Marie-Anastasie Aim, Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France

MARIE-ANASTASIE AIM is PhD. student at the Laboratory of Social Psychology of the University of Aix-Marseille. Her main research interests focus on social representations (methodological issues, theoretical development, social representations of health and illness) and social psychology of health (perceptions and representations of health and illness, body image).

Thibaut Decarsin, Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France

THIBAUT DECARSIN is health social psychologist. He is currently working in the field of home care assistance for the elderly and/or individuals with disabilities. His main research interests focus on social representations (theoretical and methodological issues) and social psychology of health (perceptions and representations of care, care practices).

Inna Bovina, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Forensic psychology, Moscow, Russia

INNA BOVINA is Professor of Health and Social Psychology at the Department of Clinical and Forensic Psychology of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education. Her main research interests focus on social representations (theoretical development, social representations of health and illness, representations of the past) and social psychology of health (prevention).

Lionel Dany, Aix Marseille Univ, LPS, Aix-en-Provence, France / APHM, Timone, Service d’Oncologie Médicale, Marseille, France

LIONEL DANY is professor of Social Psychology and researcher at the Laboratory of Social Psychology of the University of Aix-Marseille. His main research interests focus on social representations (methodological issues, theoretical development, social representations of health and illness, representations of risks) and social psychology of health (perceptions and representations of illness and care, supportive care, coping).