Introduction
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of mental illness in the media and society as a whole. This also affects the field of vocational education and the further work of specialists, so the need to prevent complex topics that could affect an individual’s mental stability in the academic environment is increasingly being raised. In their article, Boysen et al. (2016) consider the opinion of teachers of Abnormal Psychology on the need for trigger warnings and warnings about abnormal behavior in the classroom.
Background of the Study
Initially, the warnings arose from the idea that, in the process of learning about complex moral issues, students with PTSD might experience feelings similar to their traumatic ones (Boysen et al., 2016). The authors begin their paper by noting increased students’ demands to mark trigger warnings among those courses that can cause strong negative emotions (Boysen et al., 2016). Thus, the original concept associated with PTSD has expanded, and today it can include any topic covered in the curriculum, such as racism or abortion.
According to Boysen et al. (2016), the question arose of the need to include trigger warnings within courses and how widespread this is. However, this topic has generated controversy among educators, and there are both proponents of warnings and those who oppose them. Proponents of trigger warnings argue that they are necessary to show respect for students as individuals with critical personal experiences and to adjust to disabilities in the classroom (Boysen et al., 2016). On the other hand, some teachers are sure that trigger warnings go too far to please students (Boysen et al., 2016). According to this view, this limits academic freedom and can hinder the coverage of essential but complex topics.
For a better understanding of the problem, the authors focused on the features of Abnormal Psychology. They noted that the area itself is already a trigger factor for most topics, as it includes areas such as eating disorders, sex, suicide, various traumas, and other mental illnesses (Boysen et al., 2016). Each topic studied within the Abnormal Psychology framework can be perceived as a trigger. However, it must be studied as part of the course so that the student can be aware of a particular topic and understand the causes and consequences, as well as how these influence problems.
Methods
As a result, the authors conclude that Abnormal Psychology educators, having extensive experience with various complex topics, can help resolve the issue of whether to include a warning trigger in the course. Thus, teachers of Abnormal Psychology became participants in the study. The participants were randomly selected, and the study consisted of a teacher survey that included four main research questions. Only 131 teachers participated, predominantly female (56%) and white (78%), with a mean age of 48 (Boysen et al., 2016). The majority of participants were clinical psychologists or counseling psychologists (87%) and licensed to provide mental health care (62%) (Boysen et al., 2016). The survey asked how often instructors warn students about course-related behaviors to avoid and topics that may be particularly difficult for some students.
Results of the Study
Although in describing the study results, the authors tried to remain neutral and cover the topic, the article still highlights one of the comments, which may reflect the authors’ opinion. They noted that, as future professionals, students should not avoid injury but learn to deal with it (Boysen et al., 2016). However, the classroom is not a place of practice, so if students cannot deal with triggers, they need warnings in the classroom (Boysen et al., 2016). While this reinforces the dilemma about the need for alerts, it still leans towards the need to introduce alert triggers into the academic environment.
In conclusion, the authors once again emphasize that there was no consensus among mental health experts that trigger warnings are beneficial for students’ mental health. The results of their study only confirm that there is no general or dominant answer to the questions posed. While some instructors expressed strong positive views on trigger warnings, others were neutral or negative (Boysen et al., 2016).
Despite the ambiguity about the extent to which this is necessary, most instructors in practice in the teaching process either do not introduce warnings at all or very rarely (Boysen et al., 2016). However, topics such as traumatic experiences and suicide are exceptions, as about half of the participants reported regularly introducing trigger warnings before covering these topics (Boysen et al., 2016). On the other hand, warnings about abnormal behavior are standard and are used in the practice of warning about such behavior to prevent it.
Overall Impression of the Article and Its Conclusions
The authors do not give a clear position but only highlight the topic, so it is difficult to say how much this study contributes to a deeper understanding. The study, unfortunately, only scratches the surface of the reasons why educators decide whether or not to enable trigger alerts. In their conclusion, they emphasize that warnings can increase student comfort, but at the same time, they can cause an increased backlash (Boysen et al., 2016). While this is an important topic from a proper perspective, research into the impact of trigger warnings on student performance in the Abnormal Psychology course may become more critical.
In addition, the authors did not include justifications from the students, only indicating that there is an opinion among them about the need for trigger warnings. That may seem unfounded, especially among medical students in psychology. I think that future specialists should understand what direction they are studying, and warnings, for example, about the topic of racism, may be redundant. However, the results of the authors’ study show that complex topics such as traumatic experiences or suicide are usually discussed in the classroom, which is appropriate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the article by Boysen et al. (2016) raises a relevant and indeed controversial topic. However, it would be more interesting to consider this from the perspective of teachers and students or to study the impact of trigger warnings and warnings about abnormal behavior on student performance. The latter could provide a deeper understanding of the topic and allow for a well-founded consensus. At the moment, after reading the article, the issue not only remains unresolved but also does not lead to an approximation of its solution. However, the article has an excellent structure and presents the material obtained during the study, making it easier to understand the topic.
Reference
Boysen, G. A., Wells, A. M., & Dawson, K. J. (2016). Instructors’ use of trigger warnings and behavior warnings in Abnormal Psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 43(4), 334–339. Web.