Journal of

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This research was conducted to compare the self – definition of the healthy and HIV/AIDS infected bilingual (speaking Farsi and Kurdish) and monolingual (speaking just Farsi) people. Subjects of the study were 60 monolingual (Healthy and Patient) and 60 bilingual (Healthy and Patient) people who were selected through the available sampling method the variables including age, gender and were controlled by the analysis of covariance. Subjects of the study completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Beck depression and Anxiety Inventory ( BDAI), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- Revised (WAIS-R) and Twenty Statements Test ( TST). The results revealed that in general self – definition was quantitatively more in healthy group and those who were bilingual the self – definition in healthy group was independent in terms of theme, and in bilingual group was dependent. Moreover, trauma- themed self- definition was more in bilingual than monolingual patients. This preference was discussed based on the personality characteristic and growth of the cognitive processes in healthy and monolingual people. Also different self- definition could be developed due to better memory in healthy and bilingual people.

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Psychological research in Iran had a unidimensional development and the research programs was influenced by naïve realism and blind positivism. More Recent epistemological tradition like social constructionism and discursive methodologies were ignored in psychological theories and research. The aims of this study were (1) Describing methodological issues in discursive research methods; (2) applying discursive research methods in health psychology. Discourse as a concept is derived from an ontological criticism toward the definition of science based on the objective reality and empiricism. Relying only on the objectivism and empiricism for studying human phenomena is inconsistent with some of the human mind features like intentionality and desire for cognitive consistency. Discursive approaches in health psychology is appropriate for investigating phenomena like noncompliance, representation of illness in patients’ mind and factors affecting in holding responsibility in health-related behaviors. Furthermore, discursive methods could reveal how social discourse and social power could determine the definition of health and responsivity for health related issues. Some of the main analytic methods in discursive methodologies are conversation analysis, identification the discursive performance, finding discursive strategies, and discovering interpretative repertoires. Discursive methodologies could investigate health from the ways of applying language in social context and produce knowledge related to ways people position themselves toward health discourses. So, applying discursive methodologies in health psychology could help health psychologists to find better ways to promote health care and produce novel insights about how clients construct health and illness.