ABSTRACT
The cultural influence on attitudes, beliefs and opinions about suicide was investigated in Sweden, Japan, and Slovakia. Subjects from these three cultural groups (total N = 193) completed a suicide scale (Lester & Bean, 1992) consisting of five components: 1) beliefs in intrapsychic causes, 2) beliefs in interpersonal causes, 3) beliefs in societal causes, 4) personal attitudes, and 5) normative beliefs. A profile analysis showed significant main effects among the three cultural groups over the five components. Moreover, a mixed model analysis of variance revealed that Slovak participants were most inclined to attribute suicide to intrapsychic and interpersonal causes, and the Japanese, least to intrapsychic causes. The Japanese and Swedish groups did not differ in attribution to interpersonal causes. Slovak participants were most negative toward suicide in terms of their personal attitudes and normative beliefs; and the Swedish, least negative. Also, gender differences were obtained, between as well as within cultures, except that in the Swedish group, there was no difference between female and male subjects. In the Swedish group, the components of attitudes, beliefs, and opinions about suicide were also considered in relation to personality assessed with Eysenck’s EPQ-I test. The only significant correlation was between personal attitudes (Component 4) and impulsiveness, indicating a more positive attitude towards suicide in impulsive individuals. The results are discussed with reference to theoretical approaches in social and cognitive psychology, focusing on cultural, cognitive, and social contexts.
