A CROSS-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ILLNESS

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The aim of the research proposal is to examine cross-cultural developmental differences in the understanding of illness. The proposed studies will present a variety of illnesses to participants (preschoolers, second graders, fifth graders and college students) in the United States and India to determine if they entertain a multiplicity of beliefs and what age these multiple belief systems develop. In Study 1, participants will be presented with two groups of illnesses (serious, and innocuous with 4-5 illnesses included in each group). They will then be presented with various causal reasons (biological, imminent justice, psychological, and an irrelevant choice). They will be asked to agree or disagree with each of the choices presented and will be asked to justify why they agree or disagree. Study 2 examines whether the next illness is presented in makes a difference in the causal reasoning about illness. Children will e presented with the same set of illnesses as Study 1 but will be asked what causal reason(s) and cures a doctor may give for the illnesses as Study 1 but will be asked what causal reason(s) and cures a doctor may give for the illness compared to the causal reason(s) and cures a grandmother may generate for the illness. Study 3 will examine parent-child interactions to determine the role of parental input in children's understanding of illness. Results from these studies will be useful to educators and individuals in the medical profession in determining what kind of information children will be likely to comprehend when reasoning about illness. It also provides as to whether these belief systems are universal or culture specific.