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Project

Cultural differences in obsessions: Empirical studies with Belgian and Turkish samples

Summary

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a clinically heterogeneous condition that has been found across the world (Sasson et al., 1997; Staley & Wand, 1995). OCD is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses (obsessions), and the repetitive, ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) that are performed to reduce the anxiety elevated by obsessions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

The current research focuses on four connected aims: (1) To examine the cultural differences in the structure of obsessions, i.e. the extent to which the meanings and associations of obsessions vary across cultures; (2) to cross-culturally compare the frequencies of the types of obsessions that had shared meaning across cultures; (3) to examine whether cultural differences in obsessions found in non-clinical samples expand to clinical samples; (4) to examine whether cultural differences in obsessions could be linked to differences in the most dominant moral concerns across cultures.

In pursuing these four aims, we sought to overcome two shortcomings of previous research that have blocked the path to insight in cultural variations in obsessions: (1) much of the theorizing and research on OCD originates from a Western understanding of the disorder, and (2) many of the relevant studies failed to adopt a proper cross-culturally comparative methodology. In the current PhD project, I aim to advance the theorizing on cultural differences in obsessions, and contribute to the cross-cultural measurement of obsessions.  

For this research, I have adopted a cultural perspective on the experience of obsessions, and propose that cultural differences are systematic and meaningful. Building on the clinical insight that obsessions are threatening thoughts for the valued aspects of self (Purdon & Clark, 1999), I postulate that cultural differences in obsessions can be understood from cultural differences in (1) sense of self (i.e., the source of action; Markus & Kitayama, 2003), and (2) notions of ‘good’ action (i.e., codes of morality; Haidt & Graham, 2007; Shweder, Much, Mahapatra, & Park, 1997).

In trying to establish the structure of obsessions, I have examined the structures that best describe the experience of obsessions both in each culture separately and across cultures.  To find the structure that best described the cross-culturally shared meanings of obsessions, I used the most stringent methodological criteria for measurement invariance.

My research has been described in four empirical chapters, and involves systematic comparison of data from two cultural contexts (Belgium and Turkey), which have been found to vary with regard to sense of self and notions of ‘good action’. My dissertation draws on data from both clinical and non-clinical (student and community) samples. The results of my studies support the idea that some cultural differences in obsessions can be understood from the logic of agency and morality; they also point to a substantial cross-cultural overlap in phenomenology. Results with non-clinical samples were not fully replicated in a clinical sample.

 

Date:29 Apr 2014 →  9 Oct 2019
Keywords:Obsessive compulsive disorder, Cross-cultural variations
Disciplines:Biological and physiological psychology, General psychology, Other psychology and cognitive sciences
Project type:PhD project