Sociometric status and the attribution of intentions in a sample of adolescents with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Purpose To examine how cerebral palsy (CP) and sociometric status at age 10 explain the development of a cognitive bias across two groups of adolescents aged 15.

Method Children with CP (N = 60) and without CP (N = 57) are part of a follow-up study. Three categories of sociometric status (popular, average, rejected) were obtained by conducting a class-wide interview in the class of the target children at age 10. At 15 years old, the same children (CP and non-CP) were asked to complete the Home Interview With Child questionnaire measuring a cognitive bias (hostile attribution of intentions (AI)).

Results Children with CP, especially girls, were significantly more rejected and less popular than controls at age 10. At age 15, among all participants, sociometric rejected and popular children tended to have a higher percentage of hostile AI than sociometric average children.

Conclusions There were no significant results for the combined effect of CP and sociometric status on the development of hostile AI at age 15. However, knowing the risk incurred by children with CP of being socially rejected, attention should be paid in the rehabilitation process to opportunities for social participation to facilitate the development of social competence.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Level I or II cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that affects not only motor abilities but also social competence in children.

• Sociometric status in a group tends to affect the development of the ability to interprete intentions of others during adolescence.

• Sociometric measures in the class of children with CP could be a useful tool in the rehabilitation process in order to better define social participation opportunities.

• To improve social participation attempts, rehabilitation interventions should target social initiating skills, flexibility in interpreting peers’ behaviours, and ability to react effectively to negative peer treatment.

Keywords:

• Cognitive bias
• diplegia
• hemiplegia
• hostile attribution
• social competence
• spasticity

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Funding information

This research was supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC).