Work

Cultural cognition and public policy: The case of outpatient commitment laws.

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: What explains controversy over outpatient commitment laws (OCLs), which authorize courts to order persons with mental illness to accept outpatient treatment? We hypothesized that attitudes toward OCLs reflect "cultural cognition" (DiMaggio, P. Annl Rev Sociol 23:263-287, 1997), which motivates individuals to conform their beliefs about policy-relevant facts to their cultural values. In a study involving a diverse sample of Americans (N = 1,496), we found that individuals who are hierarchical and communitarian tend to support OCLs, while those who are egalitarian and individualistic tend to oppose them. These relationships, moreover, fit the cultural cognition hypothesis: that is, rather than directly influencing OCL support, cultural values, mediated by affect, shaped individuals' perceptions of how effectively OCLs promote public health and safety. We discuss the implications for informed public deliberation over OCLs.

Source: Law and Human Behavior

DOI: 10.1007/s10979-008-9174-4

Authors: Dan M. Kahan, Donald Braman, John Monahan, Lisa Callahan, Ellen Peters

Institution: Yale University

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation