RESUMEN
Gambling Disorder (GD) is characterized by persistent betting even in face of accruing debts and psychosocial hardship. Gambling Disorder behavior has been linked to conditioning, cognitive distortions and superstitious behavior. Previous studies have demonstrated that during response-outcome analytical tests (ROAT), non-gambling individuals are precluded from response extinction when failure feedback is suppressed, and develop superstitious behaviors and illusion of control instead. Gambling can be regarded as a ROAT paradigm in which disordered gamblers (DGs) fail to compute failure feedback; hence they do not perceive the independence between response and outcome. In order to investigate early phenomena on response and outcome processing in DGs, we developed two short ROAT versions, one with a controllable outcome and one with an uncontrollable outcome, both with explicit failure feedback. Twenty DGs and twenty healthy controls were assessed using this novel paradigm. Compared to controls, DGs reported higher distress during the controllable ROAT, less self-confidence in the uncontrollable ROAT, and more random responses and less use of analytical strategies in both tests, evidencing potential deficits in cognitive control. In contrast to previous findings, DGs did not demonstrate more superstitious beliefs, or illusion of control, and were generally more skeptical than controls regarding the controllability of both ROAT versions. Taken together, our findings provide some support for deficits in cognitive control in GD that precede illusion of control and superstitious behaviors.
Asunto(s)
Juego de Azar/psicología , Ilusiones/psicología , Recompensa , Supersticiones/psicología , Adaptación Psicológica , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Control Interno-Externo , Masculino , Proyectos Piloto , Autoimagen , Disposición en Psicología , Medio SocialRESUMEN
The aim of this study is at examining the prevalence and impact factors of adolescent somatization tendencies (ST) across three eastern Chinese provinces. A multicenter school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in these provinces from 2015 to 2016. The sample included 11,153 middle-school students aged 13-18 years, who were randomly selected using a multi-phase stratified cluster sampling technique. We also designed a multicenter school-based case-control study to evaluate the potential environmental impact of ST factors on this population. The overall positive rate of ST among the eastern Chinese adolescents was 12.1%. Somatic symptoms score (SSS) and positive ST rate were higher in females than males. Additionally, the SSS and positive ST rate for the 18-year-old group were significantly higher than in other age groups. In comparison to those in urban areas, adolescents in rural areas had significantly higher SSS and positive ST rate. Multiple conditional regression analyses revealed that family medical history, anxiety and depression scores; superstitious beliefs; left-behind adolescents; teacher-student support; family conflict; and family independence and achievement orientation were significantly linked to ST in adolescents. The models also indicated family medical history was the strongest impact factor to adolescent ST, even though ST were prevalent in the three studied eastern Chinese provinces. Gender, age, and dwelling differences were very significant in the SSS and positive ST rate in adolescents. This study concludes that adolescent ST are influenced by multiple environments.
Asunto(s)
Ambiente , Trastornos Somatomorfos/epidemiología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Factores de Edad , Ansiedad/epidemiología , Ansiedad/psicología , Estudios de Casos y Controles , China/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Depresión/epidemiología , Depresión/psicología , Salud de la Familia/estadística & datos numéricos , Separación Familiar , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Distribución Aleatoria , Población Rural/estadística & datos numéricos , Factores Sexuales , Factores Socioeconómicos , Trastornos Somatomorfos/psicología , Supersticiones/psicología , Población Urbana/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Individuals native to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, the abc islands of the former Netherlands Antilles, often attribute their complaints to brua, although they seldom discuss this with health professionals. This may have a negative influence on the therapeutic relationship and diagnostic processes.
AIM: To explore the role of brua in the illness perception of psychiatric patients in the Netherlands who were originally from the abc islands.
METHOD: A random sample of patients under treatment at Parnassia Psychiatric Institute in The Hague were interviewed with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire.
RESULTS: Of the 18 psychiatric patients interviewed, 10 (56%) believed in brua, and 3 (17%) considered it the cause of their disease. Although none of the interviewees admitted to an active involvement in brua, 8 (44%) had been in touch with a traditional healer and 9 (50%) possessed artifacts meant to provide protection against evil. Regarding the usefulness of discussing brua with health professionals, opinions were divided.
CONCLUSION: Psychiatric patients in the Netherlands native to the abc islands are all knowledgeable of brua, with more than half of them believing in it. Despite the fear and shame that people often experience, making brua fit for discussion in clinical practice would improve the relationship between health professional and patient, yielding further opportunities for diagnosis and treatment.
Asunto(s)
Etnopsicología , Trastornos Mentales/diagnóstico , Trastornos Mentales/etnología , Percepción , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Medicina Tradicional , Trastornos Mentales/terapia , Persona de Mediana Edad , Países Bajos/epidemiología , Antillas Holandesas/etnología , Proyectos Piloto , Supersticiones/psicologíaRESUMEN
Abstract The notion of superstitious behavior can provide a basic background for understanding such notions as illusions and beliefs. The present study investigated the social mechanism of the transmission of superstitious behavior in an experiment that utilized participant replacement. The sample was composed of a total of 38 participants. Participants performed a task on a computer: they could click a colored rectangle using the mouse. When the rectangle was in a particular color, the participants received points independently of their behavior (variable time schedule). When the color of the rectangle was changed, no points were presented (extinction). Under an Individual Exposure condition, ten participants worked alone on the task. Other participants were exposed to the same experimental task under a Social Exposure condition, in which each participant first learned by observation and then worked on the task in a participant replacement (chain) procedure. The first participant in each chain in the Social Exposure condition was a confederate who worked on the task "superstitiously," clicking the rectangle when points were presented. Superstitious responding was transmitted because of the behavior of the confederate. This also influenced estimates of personal control. These findings suggest that social learning can facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of superstitious behavior and the illusion of control. Our data also suggest that superstitious behavior and the illusion of control may involve similar learning principles.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Adolescente , Adulto , Supersticiones/psicología , Aprendizaje Social , Investigación ConductalAsunto(s)
Indígenas Sudamericanos , Medicina Tradicional , Partería , Parto Normal , Supersticiones , Femenino , Guatemala , Humanos , Relaciones Enfermero-Paciente , EmbarazoRESUMEN
Se describe la relación de la anatomía con la aruspicina, también conocida como hieroscopia y extispicina. Se trata del método de adivinar, examinado las vísceras de un animal sacrificado e interpretando detalles de esta anatomía macroscópica con el fin de predecir el futuro, siempre ligado a una voluntad divina. Eran las antiguas civilizaciones las que practicaban este arte supersticioso de adivinar basados en la conformación anatómica que presentaban dichas vísceras. Por estas razones, es muy probable que estos individuos hayan desarrollado un notable conocimiento de la anatomía y que hayan utilizado una terminología anatómica propia que hoy desconocemos por falta de documentación.
The relation between anatomy with haruspicina (also called hieroscopia and extispicina) is described. This is the method to guess, examined the entrails of a slaughtered animal and interpreting details of this gross anatomy in order to predict the future, always linked to a divine will. Ancient civilizations were those who practiced this art to guess superstitious based on anatomical conformation presenting these viscera. For these reasons, it is likely that these individuals have developed considerable knowledge of anatomy and have their own anatomical terminology used today unknown for lack of documentation.
Asunto(s)
Animales , Historia Antigua , Historia Medieval , Predicción , Medicina Tradicional/historia , Vísceras/anatomía & histología , Anatomía , Historia de la Medicina , SupersticionesRESUMEN
The aim of this article is to examine whether the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), are able to differentiate between nonpathological religious possession and dissociative identity disorder (DID). We use the case study of an individual who leads an Afro-Brazilian religious group (Umbanda), focusing on her personal development and possession experiences from early childhood to the present, spanning a period of more than 40 years, and examine these data following DSM-5 criteria for DID (300.14). Her experiences of possession can be broken into 2 distinct stages. In the 1st stage (childhood and early adulthood), she displayed intrusive thoughts and a lack of control over possession states, which were associated with a heightened state of anxiety, loneliness, amnesia, and family conflict (meeting all 5 criteria for DID). In the 2nd stage (late 20s up to the present), she regularly experienced possession states but felt in control of their onset and found them religiously meaningful. In this 2nd stage, she only fulfilled 3 criteria for DID. We question the accuracy of diagnosing this individual with DID in her earlier life and suggest that the DSM-5 criteria fail to address the ambiguity of affect surrounding possession experiences (positive at the individual level, negative at the interpersonal level) and lack a clearer acknowledgment of the prevalence of possession and other unusual experiences in general populations.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Disociativo de Identidad/diagnóstico , Trastorno Disociativo de Identidad/psicología , Religión y Psicología , Brasil , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , SupersticionesRESUMEN
Este estudo investigou o comportamento supersticioso em estudantes universitários. Participaram do experimento 10 alunos de diferentes cursos de graduação, de ambos os sexos e com a idade entre 18 e 29 anos. O experimento foi realizado em um dos cubículos do LAEC da PUC de Goiás equipado com um microcomputador, mouse e uma filmadora. Os participantes foram instruídos que no decorrer do experimento a palavra parabéns apareceria na tela do microcomputador. O local foi equipado com uma folha de papel com uma pergunta. A sessão teve a duração de sete minutos, cinco primeiros ocorriam no esquema de tempo fixo de 20 segundos e os dois últimos minutos eram referentes à extinção (TF 20s + Extinção). Dos registros em vídeo foram retiradas oito categorias dos principais fenômenos comportamentais como manipulação de objetos, por exemplo, e 47 subcategorias como manipular o teclado, tocar a folha e tocar no celular. O estudo demonstrou que os participantes tiveram um aumento considerável da frequência das respostas de manipular o computador durante as duas fases do experimento; grande parte dos estudantes não descreveu acontingência a qual foram expostos, em seguida ao experimento. Nove participantes comportaram-se como se existisse uma relação causal entre suas respostas e a apresentação do estímulo reforçador. Desse modo, as relações programadas foram de contiguidade e não de contingência e os efeitos observados podem ser explicados com base nas respostas que executaram no momento em que o reforçador era fornecido...
This study investigated the superstitious behavior in college students. Experiment participants were 10 students from different graduate students of both sexes and at the age between 18 and 29 years. The experiment was conducted in one of the cubicles of Goiás PUC LAEC equipped with a computer, mouse and a camcorder. The participants were told that the experiment of course the word Congratulations appear on the PC screen. The place was equipped with a paper sheet with a question. The session lasted seven minutes, five occurred in fixed time schedule of 20 seconds and the last two minutes were referring to extinction (TF 20s + Extinction). The video recordings were taken eight categories of the main behavioral phenomena as manipulation of objects, for example, and 47 subcategories like manipulate the keyboard, touch paper sheet and touch phone. The study showed that participants had a significant increase in the frequencyof responses to manipulate the computer during the two phases of the experiment; most students did not describe the contingency to which they were exposed, then the experiment. Nine participants behaved as if there was a causal relationship between their responses and the presentation of the reinforcer. Thus, the set of relations were not contiguity and contingency and the observed effects can be explained based on the answers that performed at the time the reinforcer was provided...
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Investigación Conductal/métodos , Estudiantes , Supersticiones/psicologíaRESUMEN
Este estudo investigou o comportamento supersticioso em estudantes universitários. Participaram do experimento 10 alunos de diferentes cursos de graduação, de ambos os sexos e com a idade entre 18 e 29 anos. O experimento foi realizado em um dos cubículos do LAEC da PUC de Goiás equipado com um microcomputador, mouse e uma filmadora. Os participantes foram instruídos que no decorrer do experimento a palavra parabéns apareceria na tela do microcomputador. O local foi equipado com uma folha de papel com uma pergunta. A sessão teve a duração de sete minutos, cinco primeiros ocorriam no esquema de tempo fixo de 20 segundos e os dois últimos minutos eram referentes à extinção (TF 20s + Extinção). Dos registros em vídeo foram retiradas oito categorias dos principais fenômenos comportamentais como manipulação de objetos, por exemplo, e 47 subcategorias como manipular o teclado, tocar a folha e tocar no celular. O estudo demonstrou que os participantes tiveram um aumento considerável da frequência das respostas de manipular o computador durante as duas fases do experimento; grande parte dos estudantes não descreveu acontingência a qual foram expostos, em seguida ao experimento. Nove participantes comportaram-se como se existisse uma relação causal entre suas respostas e a apresentação do estímulo reforçador. Desse modo, as relações programadas foram de contiguidade e não de contingência e os efeitos observados podem ser explicados com base nas respostas que executaram no momento em que o reforçador era fornecido. (AU)
This study investigated the superstitious behavior in college students. Experiment participants were 10 students from different graduate students of both sexes and at the age between 18 and 29 years. The experiment was conducted in one of the cubicles of Goiás PUC LAEC equipped with a computer, mouse and a camcorder. The participants were told that the experiment of course the word Congratulations appear on the PC screen. The place was equipped with a paper sheet with a question. The session lasted seven minutes, five occurred in fixed time schedule of 20 seconds and the last two minutes were referring to extinction (TF 20s + Extinction). The video recordings were taken eight categories of the main behavioral phenomena as manipulation of objects, for example, and 47 subcategories like manipulate the keyboard, touch paper sheet and touch phone. The study showed that participants had a significant increase in the frequencyof responses to manipulate the computer during the two phases of the experiment; most students did not describe the contingency to which they were exposed, then the experiment. Nine participants behaved as if there was a causal relationship between their responses and the presentation of the reinforcer. Thus, the set of relations were not contiguity and contingency and the observed effects can be explained based on the answers that performed at the time the reinforcer was provided. (AU)
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Supersticiones/psicología , Investigación Conductal/métodos , EstudiantesRESUMEN
A investigação de dinâmicas sociais, mais especificamente os estudos experimentais sobre metacontingências tem se deparado algumas vezes com padrões supersticiosos. Esse estudo foi baseado no modelo Meta, criado para um conjunto de pesquisas e acidentalmente produziu um padrão supersticioso. Não houve a seleção do padrão de contingências entrelaçadas desejado. A consequência cultural produziu um padrão supersticioso nos comportamentos dos participantes; um dado que pode sugerir que os padrões supersticiosos descritos, podem ter dificultado a seleção por metacontingências. A investigação de comportamentos supersticiosos, de regras supersticiosas, bem como os efeitos desses operantes em dinâmicas sociais, pode ser feita, em procedimentos como esse, de forma conjunta, compondo um fenômeno de maior complexidade.(AU)
The investigation of social dynamics, specifically experimental studies on metacontingencies has encountered sometimes with patterns superstitious. This study was based on the Meta Model, created for a set of researches and accidentally produced a pattern superstitious. There was no selection of the desired pattern of interlocking contingencies. The consequence produced a cultural pattern superstitious in behavior of the participants, a fact which may suggest that patterns described superstitious, may have hindered the selection by metacontingencies. The investigation of superstitious behaviors, superstitious rules, as well as the effects of these operants in social dynamics, can be done in procedures like this, jointly composing a phenomenon of greater complexity.(AU)
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Adulto , Cultura , Supersticiones/psicologíaRESUMEN
A investigação de dinâmicas sociais, mais especificamente os estudos experimentais sobre metacontingências tem se deparado algumas vezes com padrões supersticiosos. Esse estudo foi baseado no modelo Meta, criado para um conjunto de pesquisas e acidentalmente produziu um padrão supersticioso. Não houve a seleção do padrão de contingências entrelaçadas desejado. A consequência cultural produziu um padrão supersticioso nos comportamentos dos participantes; um dado que pode sugerir que os padrões supersticiosos descritos, podem ter dificultado a seleção por metacontingências. A investigação de comportamentos supersticiosos, de regras supersticiosas, bem como os efeitos desses operantes em dinâmicas sociais, pode ser feita, em procedimentos como esse, de forma conjunta, compondo um fenômeno de maior complexidade.
The investigation of social dynamics, specifically experimental studies on metacontingencies has encountered sometimes with patterns superstitious. This study was based on the Meta Model, created for a set of researches and accidentally produced a pattern superstitious. There was no selection of the desired pattern of interlocking contingencies. The consequence produced a cultural pattern superstitious in behavior of the participants, a fact which may suggest that patterns described superstitious, may have hindered the selection by metacontingencies. The investigation of superstitious behaviors, superstitious rules, as well as the effects of these operants in social dynamics, can be done in procedures like this, jointly composing a phenomenon of greater complexity.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Adulto , Cultura , Supersticiones/psicologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Bats are key components to the Neotropical forests. Unfortunately, their bad reputation is a major obstacle in their conservation as it creates fear and hostility towards them. Understanding this reputation acquired by bats and studying interactions between bats and humans has shown fundamental promise when creating strategies to forge a non-antagonistic coexistence between both parts and in the promotion of bat conservation in areas with ever-rising human occupation. METHODS: Ninety people were surveyed from three villages that were situated around a Biological Reserve in the state of Paraiba; located in Northern Brazil. The survey was completed using semi-structured interviews addressing villager's knowledge of the biology and ecology of bats, their interactions with bats, potential medicinal uses, and their socioeconomic situation. Additionally, we sampled the bats that reside in or visit these villages. RESULTS: Bats were often considered harmful, dangerous and carriers of disease. Bats were often connected to hematophagia, as well. The respondents believe that impacts such as the deforestation are forcing bats into urban environments. With this research, we were able to register one of the few records of bats in popular medicine in Brazil. CONCLUSION: The folklore and superstition surrounding bats can form an obstacle that affects their conservation. Environmental education is an important step in order to create a harmonious coexistence between humans and bats and to mitigate the impending conflicts between humanity and nature.
Asunto(s)
Quirópteros , Conocimiento , Supersticiones , Adolescente , Adulto , Animales , Brasil , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales , Folclore , Humanos , Población Rural , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
The symbolic order offers a great number of opportunities for understanding man's greatest fears. Based on Lévi-Strauss' original concept, we can study the symbolic efficacy of curses and enrich it with the most recent contributions of neuroscience, philosophy, and the anthropology of consciousness. This is a report of qualitative research traversed by the methods of phenomenology and symbolic hermeneutics on a rarely addressed subject of unique significance to cultural psychiatry. We have worked on the empirical data of some classic religious curses of great historical value, but we have also inquired into the phenomenon of secular excommunication. Finally, we have interpreted the symbols used in curses and the areas of the psyche that they succeed in mobilizing. We suggest that the primary core of curses is dogma, without which their symbolic efficacy would not be possible.
Asunto(s)
Supersticiones , Antropología Cultural , Hermenéutica , HumanosRESUMEN
Brua is an Afro-Caribbean religion and healing tradition from the southern part of the former Netherlands Antilles. Like other Caribbean healing traditions, it plays a significant role in shaping how individuals experience and express disorders which Western health professionals consider to require psychiatric care. Because little has been published on Brua, and because patients from Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are often reluctant to discuss their commitment to this tradition, they are often misdiagnosed and either over- or undertreated by biomedically trained health professionals. The present paper provides a review of the literature on Brua and its relation to psychiatry. A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, the Ovid database, Google Scholar, and the historical literature. Our search yielded 35 texts on Brua, including three peer-reviewed scientific papers and eight academic theses. From those texts Brua emerges as a holistic patchwork of creolized beliefs and practices which are considered to be both cause and remedy for a wide variety of ailments. Despite the fact that tension between the Brua discourse and Western-oriented psychiatric practice is significant, adherence to Brua does not seem to cause much patient delay in help-seeking. However, belief in Brua as a possible source of mental and physical complaints, as well as patients' frequent recourse to Brua practices, including the use of hallucinogens, may affect the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
Asunto(s)
Etnopsicología , Medicina Tradicional , Trastornos Mentales/diagnóstico , Trastornos Mentales/terapia , Religión y Medicina , Terapias Espirituales , Humanos , Trastornos Mentales/etnología , Trastornos Mentales/etiología , Antillas Holandesas/epidemiología , Supersticiones/psicologíaRESUMEN
A 26-year-old woman from the island of Aruba who had been living in the Netherlands for ten years felt she was misunderstood by the various health professionals she had consulted because of her fear that she was being poisoned and would soon die. Due to her background en her belief in brua, she attributed her symptoms and her illness to 'voodoo', allegedly practiced by members of her husband's family in connection with relationship problems. A culture-sensitive approach to the patient, along with thorough psychiatric and neurological tests, yielded a surprising result. Our findings emphasise how important it is for us as health professionals to acquaint ourselves with explanatory models of the diseases of our patients, and how vital it is for us to be aware of a patient's background, particularly if the patient is of foreign descent.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos Mentales/etnología , Supersticiones/psicología , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Medicina Tradicional , Trastornos Mentales/diagnóstico , Países Bajos/epidemiología , Antillas Holandesas/etnologíaRESUMEN
O futebol é um dos esportes mais difundidos no mundo. No Brasil, é importante símbolo do aspecto lúdico da cultura popular nacional. É aspecto típico do futebol a imprevisibilidade do resultado, comparativamente a outros esportes coletivos. Com tais características, pode-se dizer que trata se de contexto favorável ao surgimento de comportamentos supersticiosos. Buscou-se verificar se, mesmo em contexto tão profissionalizado quanto o do campeonato mundial realizado no país, superstições são manifestadas, e com quais características. A fonte de informação considerada foi o noticiáriosobre o campeonato. Manifestações supersticiosas foram assunto frequente das matérias jornalísticas e foram classificadas em três modalidades principais: 1) menções à coincidênciaentre algum fato ocorrido em campeonato anterior e fato atual, como indicação de sorte ou azar; 2) uso de estratégia ou amuleto por torcedores para trazer sorte à seleção do país ou azar aos adversários; 3) práticas de jogadores ou times para dar sorte ou evitar azar. A convivência de profissionalismo e preparação técnica com superstições foi objeto de discussão. (AU)
Football (or soccer, in the United States) is one of the most popular sports in theworld. In Brazil, it is an important symbol of the playful aspect of national popular culture. It is a typical aspect of football the unpredictability of the outcome, comparative to other collectivesports. With such characteristics, it can be reasoned as a favourable context to bring forth superstitious behaviour. It was attempted to verify if, even in a context as professional as the World Cup being held in the country, superstitions would manifest, and with which characteristics. The source of information considered was the news about the competition. Superstitious manifestations were a frequent subject of the journalistic pieces and were classified into three main modes: 1) mentions to the coincidence between a fact occurred in a former championship and a current fact, as a sign of good or bad luck; 2) the use of strategy or charm by the team supporters to bring luck to their national teams or bad luck to the adversaries; 3) practices of players or teams to bring good luck or avoid misfortune. The coexistence ofprofessionalism and technical preparation with superstitions was object of discussion. (AU)
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Psicología Social , Supersticiones , Fútbol , PeriodismoRESUMEN
O futebol é um dos esportes mais difundidos no mundo. No Brasil, é importante símbolo do aspecto lúdico da cultura popular nacional. É aspecto típico do futebol a imprevisibilidade do resultado, comparativamente a outros esportes coletivos. Com tais características, pode-se dizer que trata se de contexto favorável ao surgimento de comportamentos supersticiosos. Buscou-se verificar se, mesmo em contexto tão profissionalizado quanto o do campeonato mundial realizado no país, superstições são manifestadas, e com quais características. A fonte de informação considerada foi o noticiáriosobre o campeonato. Manifestações supersticiosas foram assunto frequente das matérias jornalísticas e foram classificadas em três modalidades principais: 1) menções à coincidênciaentre algum fato ocorrido em campeonato anterior e fato atual, como indicação de sorte ou azar; 2) uso de estratégia ou amuleto por torcedores para trazer sorte à seleção do país ou azar aos adversários; 3) práticas de jogadores ou times para dar sorte ou evitar azar. A convivência de profissionalismo e preparação técnica com superstições foi objeto de discussão.
Football (or soccer, in the United States) is one of the most popular sports in theworld. In Brazil, it is an important symbol of the playful aspect of national popular culture. It is a typical aspect of football the unpredictability of the outcome, comparative to other collectivesports. With such characteristics, it can be reasoned as a favourable context to bring forth superstitious behaviour. It was attempted to verify if, even in a context as professional as the World Cup being held in the country, superstitions would manifest, and with which characteristics. The source of information considered was the news about the competition. Superstitious manifestations were a frequent subject of the journalistic pieces and were classified into three main modes: 1) mentions to the coincidence between a fact occurred in a former championship and a current fact, as a sign of good or bad luck; 2) the use of strategy or charm by the team supporters to bring luck to their national teams or bad luck to the adversaries; 3) practices of players or teams to bring good luck or avoid misfortune. The coexistence ofprofessionalism and technical preparation with superstitions was object of discussion.
Asunto(s)
Humanos , Periodismo , Psicología Social , Fútbol , SupersticionesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Patients from Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are often inclined to attribute mental problems to brua, the Dutch-Antillean counterpart of voodoo. Because little is known about brua and patients are usually reluctant to talk about it, problems can arise in the communication with biomedically trained health practitioners. AIM: To provide an overview of the literature on brua, and of the ways in which brua may interfere with the diagnosis and treatment of Dutch-Antillean patients with mental health problems. METHOD: We searched the literature via PubMed and Embase (up to October 2012) and the historical literature (from 1880 onwards) written in Dutch, English, French, Spanish, and Papiamento. RESULTS: Brua has its origins in folk medicine and magico-religious rituals, which are regarded both as the cause of and a cure for mental illness. Although Antillean patients generally turn to medically trained professionals when they are confronted with medical problems, they often rely on brua medicine when they face either simpler problems, or problems for which Western medicine cannot provide a solution. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the literature, the area of tension between the Western approach to medicine and the brua approach seems to be insignificant, except perhaps in cases where hallucinogens or other psycho-active substances complicate the clinical picture and in cases where the patient's fear for sorcery dominates clinical symptomatology.