LiU Electronic Press

Differences between the groups in their conceptions of rheumatism were found, regarding aspects as manifestations and symptoms, seriousness, causes, and consequences. Naturally, the descriptions reflected experience and knowledge of rheumatism in the different groups of informants. The physicians had the most well-structured, knowledgeable and general conceptions, while the healthy group had less developed notions. The rheumatic persons were in between, closer to the physicians, and had explicit conceptions of rheumatism, in which their own situation was emphasised. In their descriptions all informants made abundant use of linguistic hedges and the like; the healthy informant group being the vaguest one in their formulations.

A clear pattern for all informants is to interpret an encountered phenomenon, here rheumatism, in relation to their experiences and realities, transferring it into a concrete and real context, in order to understand it.

Knowledge of differences in descriptions, conceptions and perspectives of participants with differing backgrounds may contribute to a better understanding of how such aspects and dissimilarities effect communication.