Lay prototypes of illness: Their content and use

Abstract

This paper examines the laypersons “illness prototypes”, their use in interpreting symptoms of illness, and their systematic inter-relationship. The domain of illness was mapped out by analysing the similarities perceived between 35 illnesses. Seven clusters of illnesses were obtained. Next, the content of the prototypes of 12 illnesses from 4 different clusters was investigated. Features investigated included the nature of the typical sufferer of an illness and its typical cause, as well as other elements such as its typical consequences. There was homogeneity of features within cluster and difference between clusters. Finally, subjects were presented with vignettes consisting of typical and atypical combinations of symptom and person/ environmental cause information, and invited to diagnose what illness the person described was suffering from. The importance of illness prototypes in the diagnosis of illness was demonstrated. The nature of the typical sufferers and of the typical causes of illnesses were important features in the organization of lay representations of illness.

Key Words:

• Attributions
• diagnosis
• illness representations
• prototypes