title: Attributions and expectations for the behavior of persons with brain injury: the effect of visibility of injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether visible markers of brain injury shape people's causal attributions for the behaviors of the person with the injury and their expectations that those behaviors will persist for 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental scenarios described an adolescent boy with a brain injury (pictured either with or without a head scar) who showed 4 behavior changes relating to sleep, anger, self-confidence, and motivation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Victoria University of Wellington.
  
  
  METHODS
  University student volunteers (N = 249).
  
  
  METHODS
  For each behavior, ratings of attributions to either the brain injury or to adolescence and estimates that the behaviors would persist for 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attributions to brain injury correlated with expectations that the behaviors would persist. Participants attributed the behaviors more to the brain injury than to adolescence in the scar condition but not in the no-scar condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visible markers of brain injury such as scars are spurious markers of severity that shape attributions for actions of persons with the injury and expectations that problematic behaviors will persist. The results inform strategies for correcting misunderstandings about brain injury and enhancing rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. john.mcclure@vuw.ac.nz
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.forename: Gauranga Jeram
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male