Diefenbach G J, Diefenbach D, Baumeister A, West M
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
J Hist Neurosci. 1999 Apr;8(1):60-9. doi: 10.1076/jhin.8.1.60.1766.
This study analyzed the content of popular press articles on lobotomy between the years 1935 and 1960. Both a qualitative and quantitative analysis provided evidence that the press initially used uncritical and sensational reporting styles, with the content of articles on lobotomy becoming increasingly negative through time. The initial positive bias occurred despite opposing views in the medical community, which provided a basis for more balanced coverage. These findings support the theory that biased reporting in popular press articles may have been a factor influencing the quick and widespread adoption of lobotomy as a psychiatric treatment.
本研究分析了1935年至1960年间大众媒体上关于脑叶白质切除术文章的内容。定性和定量分析均表明，媒体最初采用不加批判和耸人听闻的报道方式，随着时间推移，关于脑叶白质切除术文章的内容越来越负面。尽管医学界存在反对意见，最初仍存在积极偏向，而这些反对意见本可为更平衡的报道提供依据。这些发现支持了一种理论，即大众媒体文章中的偏向性报道可能是影响脑叶白质切除术作为一种精神科治疗方法迅速广泛采用的一个因素。
