title: A biopsychosocial investigation of changes in self-concept on the Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the influence of the "good-old-days" bias, neuropsychological functioning and cued recall of life events on self-concept change. Forty seven adults with TBI (70% male, 1-5 years post-injury) and 47 matched controls rated their past and present self-concept on the Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale (HISD) III. TBI participants also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests. The matched control group of 47 were from a sample of 78 uninjured participants who were randomised to complete either the Social Readjustment Rating Scale-Revised (cued recall) or HISD (non-cued recall) first. Consistent with the good-old-days bias, participants with TBI rated their pre-injury self-concept as more positive than their present self-concept and the present self-concept of controls (p < .05). More positive pre-injury self-concept ratings were related to lower estimated premorbid IQ and poorer verbal fluency and delayed memory (p < .05). For uninjured participants, cued recall, life events and event appraisals each accounted for unique variance in self-concept change (p < .01) after controlling for negative affect. The cued recall group rated their past self-concept as significantly more negative than the non-cued group (p < .01). Overall, the good-old-days bias, neuropsychological functioning and cued recall influenced reports of self-concept change by affecting retrospective ratings of past self-concept. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of contextual cues on self-concept change after TBI.
authors.affiliation: a School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
authors.forename: Avneel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: a School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ownsworth
authors.affiliation: a School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: a School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shields
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D000066498:Emotional Adjustment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Neuropsychological functioning; Self-concept; Traumatic brain injury