title: Preliminary investigation of misconceptions and expectations of the effects of traumatic brain injury and symptom reporting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed, first, to introduce a new measure for examining misconceptions of the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and, secondly, to conduct a preliminary investigation of the impact of misconceptions and expectations on level of symptom reporting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Head Injury Knowledge Scale (HIKS) was piloted for its utility in this study using a sample (n = 13) of individuals with brain injury. A sample of 99 uninjured participants was randomly allocated into either TBI simulation (n = 59) or control (n = 40) groups using a 3:2 allocation ratio. All participants initially completed the HIKS and then controls completed the Symptom Expectancy Checklist (SEC). The TBI simulation group was presented with a simulation scenario concerning severe TBI and then completed the SEC. Retrospective data on the SEC for individuals with a severe TBI (n = 38) were used for comparison purposes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HIKS was deemed suitable for use in the present study based on pilot data and internal consistency analysis of the two sub-scales (α > 0.60). The uninjured participants displayed a greater tendency to over-generalize than minimize the effects of TBI (p < 0.001). The TBI simulation group reported a higher level of symptoms on the SEC than controls and those with severe TBI (p < 0.001). However, level of symptom reporting on the SEC in the simulation group was not significantly related to misconceptions of the effects of TBI (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these preliminary findings, the HIKS may provide a useful measure of the relative tendency to over-generalize or minimize the effects of TBI. However, further research is needed to investigate the reliability and validity of the HIKS prior to clinical use.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Griffith Institute for Health and Medical Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. m.ono@griffith.edu.au
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ownsworth
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D055815:Young Adult