Attributions for behaviours of persons with brain injury: the role of perceived severity and time since injury.
OBJECTIVE
The experiment determined first whether visible markers of brain injury shape judgements of severity of injury and time since injury; and secondly whether these two judgements predict attributions for undesirable actions performed by an adolescent with brain-injury.


METHODS
Scenarios presented a photograph of an adolescent, in one condition with a head scar and in a second condition with no scar. The adolescent was described as having suffered a brain injury and showing four behaviour changes, concerning sleep, anger, self-confidence and motivation.


METHODS
For each behaviour, students (n = 101) rated attributions to the brain injury and adolescence and estimated severity of injury and time since injury.


RESULTS
With no scar, participants attributed the behaviours to adolescence more than brain injury, whereas with the scar they invoked both causes equally. With the scar they rated severity higher and time since injury shorter; severity predicted participants' attributions for the behaviours.


CONCLUSIONS
Visible markers of injury such as scars are spurious indicators of severity but they shape judgements of severity and attributions for actions of persons with brain injury. These results inform more accurate diagnosis and treatment for actions resulting from brain injury.
McClure
John
J
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. john.mcclure@vuw.ac.nz
Buchanan
Simon
S
McDowall
John
J
Wade
Kim
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D011287:Prejudice; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult