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Lay Theories and Metaphors of Health and Illness

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The Science of Lay Theories

Abstract

People use lay theories to understand their worlds, including the body and diseases. Conceptual metaphors are similar to lay theories in their use of a simple domain to understand a more complex one. Unfortunately, some conceptual metaphors about the body prompt inferences about health and illness that ultimately have negative consequences. We explore two such cases. Metaphors relating cancer to a war with an enemy imply an incorrect view of the disease that leads to ineffective strategies for prevention. Metaphors relating the body to a machine misrepresent its kind as well as its amount of complexity in ways that can lead medical research astray. Awareness of these metaphors and their inferences can help health professionals avoid mistakes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 3233 East Hall, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1043, USA

    David J. Hauser

  2. Center of Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Randolph M. Nesse

  3. Department of Psychology, Marshall School of Business, Dornsife Mind & Society Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Norbert Schwarz

Authors
  1. David J. Hauser
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  2. Randolph M. Nesse
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  3. Norbert Schwarz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David J. Hauser .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA

    Claire M. Zedelius

  2. Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Barbara C. N. Müller

  3. Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA

    Jonathan W. Schooler

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Hauser, D.J., Nesse, R.M., Schwarz, N. (2017). Lay Theories and Metaphors of Health and Illness. In: Zedelius, C., Müller, B., Schooler, J. (eds) The Science of Lay Theories. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57306-9_14

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