Mass Psychogenic Illnesses

Topic 

Mass Psychogenic Illnesses

Instructions

Please answer FOUR of the following questions. Each question is worth 25 points each.

 

  1. Describe the characteristics of mass psychogenic illnesses. What factors can precipitate mass psychogenic illnesses? How and why can culture influence the symptoms of mass psychogenic illnesses?

 

2. How does a person understand that they have ownership over their own body? What happens if a person’s sense of ownership doesn’t function properly?

 

  1. What sorts of environmental and biological factors can cause hallucinations? Why might otherwise normal individuals experience hallucinations? How do hallucinations in individuals’ Charles Bonnet compare to hallucinations with individuals who have schizophrenia.

 

  1. Why does synaesthesia, such as mirror-touch synaesthesia or shared pain, occur? How does synaesthesia manifest itself in the brain and in behavior?

 

  1. Tell me about psychopathy. What are the behavioral and physiological features of psychopathy?

 

What can cause it? How does psychopathy differ/compare with sexual sadism?

 

  1. What are some different types of stalkers and features of stalking (Describe some of their characteristics)? What are some explanations for why stalking behaviors occur?

 

  1. Describe how dissociation functions and different types of dissociation. What are some ways to help people who suffer from dissociative disorders?

 

  1. Choose your own topic related to the readings

Answer Preview 

An environmental trigger is the most common factor that precipitates MPI (Tarafder et al, 2016). The onset of symptoms of MPI after people are exposed to an environmental trigger develops with high rapidity. In the recent study, Tarafder et al found that after exposure to the environmental trigger, students involved were showing symptoms between 45 and 90 minutes. When the environmental trigger occurs and the immediate group is fully made aware of it, the group members are suddenly subjected to psychological and/or physical distress. In this case, the media becomes a key precipitating factor to the fast-spreading of the MPI. The media’s story on either the occurrence or presence of an environmental trigger or coverage of the exposed group precipitates the swiftness of spreading MPI. The awareness is largely attributable to media coverage that increases panic, desperation, and the development of symptomatic doubts or experiences from the people who were with, or interacted with, the exposed group.

Word Count: 1000