| Abstract: | Using color photographs donated by burned and nonburned children as stimulus materials, the authors compared attitudes of 218 practice teachers, senior nursing students, and counselors-in-training toward children and adolescents described as typical, having emotional and psychological problems, or having been severely burned and scarred. With the Adjective Generation Technique and a researcher-designed Attitude Scale, the authors found that children with severe burns and facial scarring were regarded less favorably and were given fewer predictions of future success than the other 2 groups. Significantly fewer of the students expressed a willingness to work with them, and many had little confidence that they would be able to help burned clients. Questions generated by participants concerning things they wanted to know about the 3 groups before working with them revealed that burned children were most often asked about their injuries and scarring but were rarely asked about school, leisure activities, or friends. |
