This project investigates the psychological process of reification—the misperception
of socially constructed phenomena as mind-independent facts—with a focus on its
implications for mental health. Although constructs such as currency or diagnostic
categories exist solely through collective belief, they are often treated as natural and
immutable. In the context of mental health, this process unfolds through mechanisms
such as medicalization and essentialism, whereby psychological suffering is framed as
a fixed biological condition. Such framings can diminish personal agency, shape
clinical practice, and perpetuate stigma. The proposed research aims to develop a
general theory of reification as an information-processing phenomenon, focusing on
the attribution of mind-dependence—or the misattribution of mind-
independence—and how these judgments are reflected in individuals’ language.
Using mixed methods, the study will examine individual variability in reification,
identify linguistic markers, and assess its consequences across personal, clinical, and
societal levels. Ultimately, the research seeks to inform interventions that foster
psychological flexibility and challenge harmful reified beliefs. By tracing how social
realities come to be mistaken for natural ones—particularly in the realm of mental
health—this work aims to offer new insights into the construction of psychological
conditions as entities, and to explore avenues for improving both understanding and
care.