Journal of Pediatric Psychology 20(3) pp. 329-345, 1995
© 1995 Society of Pediatric Psychology
research-article |
Do Parents Excuse the Misbehavior of Children with Physical or Emotional Symptoms? An Investigation of the Pediatric Sick Role 1
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University
2All correspondence should be sent to Lynn S. Walker, Division of Adolescent Medicine, 436 Medical Center South, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-3571
Assessed attributions and responses to descriptions of the misbehavior of children with symptoms of physical and emotional illnesses. Subjects (160 mothers; 160 fathers) read a vignette about a child in one of four illness conditions (medically explained pain with organic etiology; medically unexplained pain, depression, well) who was described as misbehaving at home and school. Within each illness condition, the child protagonist varied by age (8 vs. 16) and gender. A between-subjects design was used in which subjects made judgments regarding causes and responsibility for the child's misbehavior, affective reactions to the child, and the consequences that should be administered to the child. Results indicated that, in comparison to subjects' perceptions of the misbehavior of children in the other conditions, subjects viewed the misbehavior of children with medically explained pain as less intentional, more excusable, and due to causes that were less internal to the child. Subjects held children with medically explained pain less responsible for their misbehavior and indicated that they would respond to them with less anger, disappointment, blame, and punishment than to children in the other conditions. Subjects did not hold children with symptoms of depression and children with unexplained pain complaints less responsible for their misbehavior, but indicated that they would respond to them with less anger, disappointment, and punishment than to well children.
Key words: attribution; parent-child relations; pain; symptoms; self-handicapping strategy.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  D. E. Logan, R. M. Coakley, and L. Scharff Teachers' Perceptions of and Responses to Adolescents with Chronic Pain Syndromes J. Pediatr. Psychol., March 1, 2007; 32(2): 139 - 149. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Crushell, M. Rowland, M. Doherty, S. Gormally, S. Harty, B. Bourke, and B. Drumm Importance of Parental Conceptual Model of Illness in Severe Recurrent Abdominal Pain Pediatrics, December 1, 2003; 112(6): 1368 - 1372. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. S. Walker, R. L. Claar, and J. Garber Social Consequences of Children's Pain: When Do They Encourage Symptom Maintenance? J. Pediatr. Psychol., December 1, 2002; 27(8): 689 - 698. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. V. Campo and G. Fritz A Management Model for Pediatric Somatization Psychosomatics, December 1, 2001; 42(6): 467 - 476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. W. Guite, L. S. Walker, C. A. Smith, and J. Garber Children's Perceptions of Peers With Somatic Symptoms: The Impact of Gender, Stress, and Illness J. Pediatr. Psychol., April 1, 2000; 25(3): 125 - 135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|