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Banality Reinvestigated: A Computer‐Based Content Analysis of Suicidal and Forced Death Documents *
Author(s) -
Henken Valerie J.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1976.tb00549.x
Subject(s) - concreteness , denial , psychology , content (measure theory) , empathy , stereotype (uml) , content analysis , psychoanalysis , social psychology , cognitive psychology , sociology , social science , mathematical analysis , mathematics
Suicide and simulated notes and forced‐death documents were processed on the Harvard III Psycho‐Sociological Dictionary. For each text, frequencies of related words were generated; these were contrasted with each other and with baseline data using z scores. The results indicated that the suicidal groups were more “deviant.” Other findings are concreteness and constriction of focus for suicides—a pattern suggesting denial just prior to the deed. The forced‐death group seemed to be more meaningfully in contact with life and aware of responsibility. The simulated group appeared to be fabricating a popular stereotype rather than exhibiting empathy. Implications were discussed.