Ronald C. Simons


Ronald C. Simons is a psychiatrist and anthropologist best known for his work on latah, a culture-bound syndrome found predominantly in Malaysia and Indonesia. He has written on culture-bound syndromes more generally. He is professor of psychiatry and adjunct professor of anthropology at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. His short documentary film, "Latah: A Culture-Specific Elaboration of the Startle Reflex" is a classic within medical anthropology.

Selected publications

  • Simons, Ronald C. "The resolution of the Latah paradox." J Nerv Ment Dis 168:195-206.
  • Simons, Ronald C. "Latah II--problems with a purely symbolic interpretation. A reply to Michael Kenny." J Nerv Ment Dis 171:168-75.
  • Simons, Ronald C. "Latah III--how compelling is the evidence for a psychoanalytic interpretation? A reply to H.B.M. Murphy." J Nerv Ment Dis 171:178-81.
  • Paperback
  • Simons, Ronald C. "A simple defense of Western biomedical explanatory schemata." Medical Anthropology 15:201-8.
  • Simons, Ronald C. Boo! culture, experience, and the startle reflex. Oxford: Oxford University Press.