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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
09:07
Electroconvulsive Seizures in Rats and Fractionation of Their Hippocampi to Examine Seizure-induced Changes in Postsynaptic Density Proteins
Published on: August 15, 2017
[Electroconvulsive therapy, electroshock and shock therapy in the newspaper]
U Hoffmann-Richter1, B Alder, A Finzen
1Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik, Basel.
Psychiatrische Praxis
|May 1, 1997
Summary
Newspaper reports on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are highly biased. Analysis reveals synonymous terms like "Elektroschock" are used to describe torture, not medical treatment.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Media Studies
- Linguistics
Context:
- Newspaper reporting on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) often lacks objectivity.
- Public perception of ECT can be significantly influenced by media framing.
Purpose:
- To quantitatively analyze media bias in reporting on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
- To examine the semantic shifts of terms associated with ECT in German and Swiss newspapers.
Summary:
- A quantitative analysis of four German and Swiss newspapers was conducted.
- The study identified a significant bias in reporting, with terms like "Elektroschock" and "Schocktherapie" being reframed.
Impact:
- Findings highlight the potential for media to distort the public understanding of medical procedures.
- Demonstrates how language manipulation can associate ECT with negative concepts like torture.
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