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Eleven interpretations of personal suffering
1Dept. of Psychology, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, 45207, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Journal of Religion and Health
|December 5, 2013
Summary
This study defines suffering as a personal psychological experience, distinct from pain. It identifies 11 distinct attitudes toward personal suffering and develops a scale to measure them.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Suffering is a complex psychological experience.
- Understanding personal suffering is crucial for mental well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and differentiate suffering from pain.
- To identify and describe various attitudes toward personal suffering.
- To develop a psychometric scale for measuring attitudes toward suffering.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis differentiating suffering from pain.
- Descriptive analysis of perceptual, affective, and action-tending components of attitudes.
- Development of a 99-item attitude scale based on 11 identified attitudes.
Main Results:
- Suffering is defined as a personal psychological experience, distinct from pain.
- Eleven distinct attitudes toward personal suffering were identified and described.
- A 99-item attitude scale was constructed to measure these attitudes.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a framework for understanding personal suffering.
- The developed scale offers a tool for further research into attitudes toward suffering.
- Further research is planned to explore the implications of these attitudes.
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