Koro: a socially-transmitted delusional belief

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Cultural Psychology
• Social Psychiatry

Background:

• Koro is a culturally specific delusion characterized by the belief of penile retraction into the abdomen.
• This non-neuropsychological delusion occurs in epidemic outbreaks, primarily in South and Southeast Asia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the applicability of the two-factor theory of delusion to epidemic Koro.
• To identify the factors contributing to the initiation and adoption of the Koro delusional hypothesis.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of epidemic Koro cases.
• Analysis of factors prompting the Koro hypothesis.
• Examination of factors influencing the adoption of the Koro belief.

Main Results:

• The Koro hypothesis is often triggered by perceived actual penis shrinkage, contingent on pre-existing Koro beliefs.
• Belief adoption is influenced by individual factors (e.g., prior beliefs, education) and sociocultural elements (e.g., deference to culture, media, rumors).
• Social transmission plays a role in both the triggering and adoption phases of the delusion.

Conclusions:

• The two-factor theory provides a viable framework for understanding socially transmitted delusions like epidemic Koro.
• Both precipitating events and sociocultural influences are crucial in the etiology and propagation of Koro.