Attributions for behaviours of persons with brain injury: The role of perceived severity and time since injury

Primary 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. Research design: 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 and procedures: For each behaviour, students (n = 101) rated attributions to the brain injury and adolescence and estimated severity of injury and time since injury. Outcomes and 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.