Information about children's acceptance of peers who are injured is lacking. This study assessed factors related to children's acceptance of a child wearing a knee brace. Participants viewed a line drawing of a child wearing a knee brace presented with a medical script or the control script (described the child; n=248). Others (n=62) viewed a child without a knee brace presented with the control script. Children responded to questions assessing their acceptance of the child in the line drawing. Children did not provide lower acceptance ratings for the child wearing a knee brace compared to the typically developing child. Children who had met someone with a knee injury provided higher acceptance ratings for playing tag with a child wearing a knee brace. Older children with high social desirability scores provided lower ratings for wanting to play tag with the child wearing a knee brace. Future research should compare children's acceptance of peers with different types of injuries as well as examine their interactions with these children.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank the Department of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati for funding this project.
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Appendix: Scripts for Boys
Appendix: Scripts for Boys
Scripts for Knee Brace
Information about Medical Condition with Outcome Information
Joe is in the same grade as you are. Joe rides the bus to school each day. At school the children learn about reading, math, and science. His knee has been hurting him this year. When his knee hurts he wears this brace on his knee. Joe can't run very fast when his knee hurts. Joe's mother took him to the doctor to see about the pain in his knee, because it hurts him so much. The doctor examined Joe and took an x-ray. The doctor found a medical problem, called “condracia.” It means the bones in his knee aren't growing they way they are supposed to. The doctor gave Joe some medicine for his knee pain.
Information about Medical Information with No Outcome
Joe is in the same grade as you are. Joe rides the bus to school each day. At school the children learn about reading, math, and science. His knee has been hurting him this year. When his knee hurts he wears this brace on his knee. Joe can't run very fast when his knee hurts. Joe's mother took him to the doctor to see about the pain in his knee, because it hurts him so much. The doctor did not find anything wrong with Joe's knee.
Information about Medical Condition
Joe is in the same grade as you are. Joe rides the bus to school each day. At school the children learn about reading, math, and science. His knee has been hurting him this year. When his knee hurts he wears this brace on his knee. Joe can't run very fast when his knee hurts.
School Information Only (No Medical Information)
Joe is in the same grade as you are. Joe rides the bus to school each day. At school the children learn about reading, math, and science.
Script for Child NOT Wearing a Knee Brace
School Information Only
Joe is in the same grade as you are. Joe rides the bus to school each day. At school the children learn about reading, math, and science.
Note. Scripts for girls were the same, but used the name “Mary” instead of “Joe” and “she” rather than “he.”
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Nabors, L., Tipkemper, A., Lehmkuhl, H. et al. Children's Acceptance of a Child Wearing a Knee Brace: Does Having an Injury Make a Difference?. J Dev Phys Disabil 18, 427–440 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-006-9025-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-006-9025-5