Body image of children and adolescents with cancer: A systematic review

We report a systematic literature review to identify (1) differences in body image (BI) between children and adolescents with cancer and healthy controls; (2) relationships between BI and demographic or medical variables; (3) implications of BI for psychological adjustment; and (4) relationship between BI and social support. Thirty-two studies were identified from computerized databases including BNI (1985-March, 2008), CINAHL (1982-March, 2008), MEDLINE (1950-March, 2008), PsychInfo (1806-March, 2008), and PubMed (1950-March, 2008). There was no consistent evidence regarding BI differences between children and adolescents with cancer and healthy controls. Relations between BI and gender, disease characteristics, and psychological adjustment were found. Changes in BI have adverse implications for self-esteem and adjustment, but can be moderated by social support. Future research should also adopt broader definitions of BI, and cancer-specific age-appropriate BI measures are needed to increase sensitivity of this work.     

Reconnecting the individual and the social in health psychology

Abstract

Much social psychological research has sought to distinguish itself from more ‘individualistic’ approaches to human cognition and personality. Much of this debate fails to take account of the interactions between social and intrapsychic processes which, it is argued, are vital to the formulation of unifying theoretical principles and to practical applications in the field of health psychology. A general theoretical perspective is outlined, based on notions of connectionist systems operating at both the individual and interpersonal level. A special feature is the assumption that we depend on communication with and from other people to attribute reality to our interpretations of events. The benefits of this perspective for health psychology are then illustrated in the contexts of attitude-behaviour relations, appraisals of risk and uncertainty, person-situation interactions, and group processes and social influence.     

The Representation of Mortality Statistics and the Perceived Importance of Causes of Death

This study investigated how different methods of presenting mortality statistics may influence subjective impressions of the importance of a given cause of death. Subjects were 214 students from the fifth year of a comprehensive school (average age 15). Each subject rated one of six causes of death on a scale labeled "extremely minor–extremely major cause of death" before and after receiving accurate information concerning the number of deaths per annum in the United Kingdom resulting from the cause in question. This information was presented in one of five forms: (a) a statement of what proportion of all deaths resulted from the specified cause; (b) a statement of what percentage of all deaths were so caused; (c) a pie chart representing the proportion pictorially; (d) a bar chart representing the proportion pictorially; and (e) a statement of absolute number of deaths from the specified cause without information on total number of deaths from all causes combined. Analysis showed that subjects discriminated between the different causes both before and after presentation of the information but their ratings were imperfectly calibrated with actual frequencies. Also, the changes in ratings following the information depended significantly on the mode of presentation. Except when subjects were told the absolute frequency, the changes were in the direction of decrease in perceived importance. This decrease was most marked in the bar chart and pie chart conditions. The data are interpreted in relation to the literature on statistical inference processes and on judgmental contrast.     

Further evidence for expectation-based illusory correlations

Subjects were presented with 36 opinion statements ostensibly made by residents of two towns (one large, one small) confronted with the building of a new nuclear power station in the vicinity. There were an equal number of pro- and anti-nuclear opinions for both towns (nine for each combination) so that there was no relationship between attitudes and town. The probabilistic belief that small towns would contain a higher proportion of antinuclear residents, was predicted to produce an ‘illusory correlation’ confirming the belief. This was strongly supported. Findings were discussed in terms of the literatures on illusory correlation, stereotyping and attitudes.     

Coping with chronic childhood diseases: Implications for counselling children and adolescents

Children with chronic diseases have to cope with a number of potentially stressful situations. Some relate specifically to the disease and treatment, and others, relating to school and home, are shared with all children. Research has tended to focus on environmental or personal variables that influence ‘adjustment’ to the disease. In contrast, work in general developmental psychology is concerned with identifying changes in children's appraisal of what constitutes a stressful situation, and describing appropriate coping skills. It is argued that this latter approach should be integrated with work concerned with coping in childhood illness. Implications for clinical practice are considered.