Lewis, Zachary M. and Aspelmeier, Jeffery Pluralistic Ignorance Within Mental Health Stigma and Willingness to Use Mental Health Services. 2025. Radford University, Thesis. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
Pluralistic ignorance is a group-level phenomenon that occurs when people systematically misestimate the attitudes of their peers (Miller & Prentice, 1994). Pluralistic ignorance can create feelings of isolation and social deviance. The present study investigates the presence of pluralistic ignorance within mental health stigma, and willingness to use mental health services, as the phenomenon may be a potential barrier to utilizing professional mental health care. Additionally, this study investigates the moderating role of mental health symptom severity (Low vs. High) in the discrepancy between participants’ own attitude the attitude they believe their peers hold (pluralistic ignorance). This study identified pluralistic ignorance within willingness to use mental health services, as well as mental health stigma. Participants underestimated their peers’ willingness to use mental health services. Participants also overestimated their peers’ mental health stigma. A principal components analysis supported the existence of three different mental health stigma types: self-targeted mental health stigma, perception of others’ mental health stigma, and one’s stigma toward others with mental health complications. Mental health symptom severity appeared to moderate the magnitude of pluralistic ignorance within combined mental health stigma (all types), and perceptions of others mental health stigma. Participants with higher symptom severity had a larger discrepancy in self/other scores for overall mental health stigma and public stigma. Further, participants with higher mental health severity reported higher mental health stigma for both self reports and peer estimates.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences > Department of Psychology |
| Date Deposited: | 31 Jan 2026 18:07 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Apr 2026 16:39 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1305 |
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