However, the concept of prejudice cannot be measured in ratio or interval levels; since prejudice is a subjective concept, it is best measured through statements that illustrate attitudes of people toward the concept and issue of prejudice. Thus, conceptualizing prejudice in a quantitative study can be measured through a survey questionnaire that utilizes a Likert scale, which consists of attitude statements that "determine the relative intensity" of constructed attitude statements for the respondent (Babbie, 1998:183)
Feelings of counter-transference on the part of the analyst is known as subjective countertransference and involves any unresolved issues of the therapist while objective countertransference has to do with the feelings that the patient induces in the analyst that provides information about the patients feelings and transferences and enables the therapist to feel how the patient felt toward himself and how his mother felt toward him and how he felt toward his other and how he wished his mother felt toward him." (Rathe, 2008, p
d:2). Development of self-concept The social psychologists have come up with several sources or causes of self-conception that people have like (Psychology Press, 2012); Motivation- these are behaviors driven by intrinsic motivation and have a better platform to definition of self than the extrinsic motivations
Self and behavior as related to self-presentation It has been noted that the self-conception that one displays will definitely influence the behavior put firth to the society. For instance, people whose conception of self ends in depicting low self-esteem are more likely to display aggressive behavior than those whose self-conception points towards high self-esteem (Missouri Western State University, 2009)
Baumeister (1999) indicates that the definition of self is what a person believes about "himself or herself, including the person's attributes and who and what the self is." Self-concept has a wider coverage than self-esteem in that as self-esteem is limited to the emotional reaction, the self-concept covers everything that is known to the person like the name, the race, the dislikes and the likes, beliefs and value systems and even the physical appearances like height and weight (Todd F & Carry L, n
For instance, psychological health could be defined positively as a condition of well being where a person realizes his/her abilities. From the negative perspective, it is the lack of objectively diagnosing illness to survive the normal life distress and work productively to contribute to the society (Brown, 2008)
This has occurred through professional discourses (psychology and psychiatry) and popular cultures like entertainment media and everyday language. These factors interact in a complex manner to produce a strong fusion of scientific knowledge and common sense, which could be challenging to unravel (Burlingame & McClendon, 2008)
They include a tendency to avoid living next to a person diagnosed with psychological distress without believing that the distressed have equal rights as other people. This indicates the presence of powerful ideological forces in tension with the political and progressive social developments geared towards enhancing the lives of psychologically distressed in the society (Cooper, 2008)
Therefore, individual reluctance to accept psychological health problems in contemporary society is not related to the presence of fear, but with the material impacts of exposure in the form of discrimination, inequality, and oppression. Increasing social discrimination affects individuals with psychological health problems because social exclusion and inequality creates distress and the psychological patients are entangled in excluding, punitive public moods, and policies (Gold & Stricker, 2009)
Initially, it was developed to form a standardized taxonomy, which could improve effective correspondence between psychiatrists to facilitate psychological health diagnosis, research, and treatment. This indicates that although psychological distress is statistically part of the daily human existence and a common experience for human beings, people tend to avoid and consider it as something removed from them (Groth-Marnat, 2009)
From the negative perspective, it is the lack of objectively diagnosing illness to survive the normal life distress and work productively to contribute to the society (Brown, 2008). The Psychological Health Act initiated a single definition of psychological disorder as any disability or disorder of the mind (Hayes, 2008)
Occasionally, the term psychological disorder is used when feeling it is imperative to remain consistent with the original context where the term had been utilized, for instance, in discussions majoring on definitions used in psychological policy or law. However, an individual must show the contested nature of the term by using single inverted commas (Huss & Baer, 2008)
As subjective elements, social and healthcare professionals are also subject to the influence of prejudicial attitudes, ideas, and behaviors. Accepting this fact is the most fundamental beginning step towards growing into a critically self-aware professional, able to identify and redress any personal discriminatory practices and beliefs (Kellogg & Young, 2008)
This study confirms that the knowledge base of psychological work is far from direct. Psychological disorders are inherently complex with interventions and assessments regularly fraught with tension, contradiction, and controversy (Lebow, 2008b)
This study confirms that the knowledge base of psychological work is far from direct. Psychological disorders are inherently complex with interventions and assessments regularly fraught with tension, contradiction, and controversy (Lebow, 2008b)
Similar studies reveal that the respondent reported that if they were receiving psychiatric intervention, they would be unwilling or reluctant to report this to their friends. They contend that it is a good idea not to tell other people about psychological distress because of how they react (Sparks, Duncan & Miller, 2009)
Longitudinal studies in remote areas of France demonstrate the persistence of exclusionary and alienating practices towards psychologically distressed despite their official and deinstitutionalization integration into the society. The rhetorical acknowledgement of such individuals in the society has not been aligned with the reality of their status within the society (Tarragona, 2008)
Recent evidence demonstrates that public attitudes may be worsening. In 2010, the Department of Health conducted a survey on attitudes towards psychological illness and discovered an increase in prejudice across various indicators (The Australian Psychological Association, 2010)
Ways of defining and understanding psychological distress are constantly evolving, essentially in what is dynamic and contested arena. Establishing a unified description of what constitutes psychological distress could be a frustrating exercise and a thing of a holy grail (Wachtel, 2010)
These are regular emotional reactions, which individuals have towards those in psychological distress. The complex, diverse and extraordinary ways by which psychological distress manifests in people could be disturbing (Zinbarg & Griffith, 2008)