Is Psychopathology a Less Stigmatizing Course Name Than Abnormal Psychology?

Abstract

Background: To mitigate stigma, many universities recently changed the name of their “Abnormal Psychology” course to “Psychopathology.” Objective: In a preregistered study, we investigated whether “Psychopathology” is less stigmatizing than “Abnormal.” Method: Undergraduate students completed an implicit task (making initial preferences for hypothetical professors, then judging the courses those professors teach) and an explicit task (answering direct queries, e.g., “Which term feels more negative to you?”). Results: Students judged that courses named “Psychopathology” and “Abnormal Psychology” were taught by less-positive and less-preferred professors, and “Psychology of Mental Health” was taught by more-positive and more-preferred professors. Students reported that “Psychopathology” and “Abnormal” feel more negative and less positive than “Mental Health,” and “Psychopathology” and “Abnormal” seem to not differ in negativity or positivity. “Psychopathology” also reminds students more of a psychopath, “deviant,” and “psycho,” than does “Mental Health.” Importantly, students strongly prefer that other people use “Mental Health” rather than “Psychopathology” or “Abnormal” to describe them and their conditions. Conclusion: We conclude that “Psychopathology” is roughly equivalent to “Abnormal,” and both terms are more stigmatizing than “Mental Health.” Therefore, we suggest that the course name “Psychology of Mental Health” rather than “Abnormal Psychology” and “Psychopathology” might reduce stigma.