Andrew J. Howell

Objective. There is concern regarding use of the phrase ‘committed suicide’, given its connotations of immorality. Limited research has examined influences on people’s use of this phrase. The current studies examined whether portraying a suicide as highly immoral affects perceptions of the phrase ‘committed suicide’. Method. Undergraduate participants in western Canada read a suicide vignette in which the suicide was depicted either neutrally or as sinful (Study 1, N = 188) or as either altruistic or vengeful (Study 2, N = 204). They then judged, from the perspective of the deceased person’s family, the preference for statements employing ‘committed suicide’ or ‘died by suicide’ (Study 1) or the acceptability of statements employing ‘committed suicide’, ‘ended her[his] life’, ‘took her[his] own life’, or ‘died by suicide’ (Study 2). Results. In Study 1, ‘committed suicide’ statements received higher preference judgments for the scenario depicted as sinful. In Study 2, phrases alternative to ‘committed suicide’ received higher acceptability ratings for the altruistic scenario. Discussion. We consider limitations of our work, directions for future research on the language of suicide, and implications of our findings.

Background: "Committed suicide" is often deemed less acceptable than alternative phrases, but such judgments vary widely across individuals. Aim: We tested whether the endorsement of statements containing "committed suicide" is greater when a suicide death is depicted as immoral. We also assessed the degree of immorality suggested by the free-standing phrases "committed suicide" and "died by suicide." Method: Undergraduate participants (N = 154) read scenarios of a suicide depicted as immoral and one depicted more neutrally and judged the applicability of statements employing either "committed suicide" or "died by suicide" to each scenario. Participants next chose between the free-standing phrases "committed suicide" or "died by suicide" in terms of which connoted immorality and provided written justifications for their choices. Results: Participants judged "committed suicide" statements to be most applicable to the immoral-suicide scenario. A large majority of participants chose "committed suicide" over "died by suicide" as connoting immorality and participants' justifications for this choice revealed several meaningful themes. Limitations: Our manipulation of immorality employed religious overtones and our participants were undergraduate students. Conclusions: Findings contribute to the empirical basis for concerns regarding the phrase "committed suicide," with implications for stigma reduction and help-seeking.

Implicit theories of personal and social attributes: Fundamental mindsets for a science of wellbeing