Abstract
Which Thoughts can Kill a Boxer? Naive Theories About Cognitive and Emotional Antecedents of Suicide
Sporrle M~~Forsterling F~~~
Participants read newspaper articles about the defeat of a boxer. In one condition, the authentic article stated he died by suicide & in the other, a fictitious article, he successfully continued his career. Participants assumed significantly more irrational beliefs by the boxer in the suicide scenario than in the non-suicide version. Additionally, participants expected the suicidal stimulus person to be experiencing maladaptive emotions whereas a successful resumption of his career lead to expectations of adaptive affects. Ratings of the functionality revealed sadness, fear, annoyance, & concern were expected to be more functional than depression, anxiety, rage, & guilt. (56 refs.)