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Belief in psychological effects on cancer

The present study surveyed 135 oncology care‐givers' and 442 university students' beliefs about psychological influences in cancer. Care‐givers were more sensitive than students to the potential risks of such beliefs and physicians were in general more reserved than other care‐givers. Overall, the majority agreed strongly that psychological factors can influence physical health and that stress and coping style can influence the course of cancer, including its curability. Many also agreed that stress and coping style may be contributing causes of cancer. Both groups rated various psychological tasks and strategies as being very helpful physically to persons with cancer and most indicated that they would adopt such approaches if they themselves had cancer. The paper distinguishes believers from non‐believers and presents a cluster analysis of believers' responses to the claims that psychological factors can influence health and cancer. The distinct patterns of response that emerged provide empirical support for the distinction made by Doan and Gray (1992) between Strong and Weak formulations of psychological influence and for the distinctions made by Northouse and Wortman (1990) between Moral, Compensatory and Medical models of helping and coping. The limitations of the study are addressed along with the implications of the findings for cancer care.