Category | Items | Item-wise correct response | Respondents With misconceptions n (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Prevention | 1.You don’t need seatbelts as long as you can brace yourself before a crash | F | 125 (87.4) |
2.It is more important to use seatbelts on long trips than in driving around town | F | 53 (37.1) | |
3. It is safer to be trapped inside a wreck than to be thrown clear | T | 94 (65.7) | |
4. Wearing seatbelts causes as many injuries as it prevents | F | 84 (58.7) | |
Mean % of misconceptions | Â | 62.2 | |
Brain damage | 5. A head injury can cause brain damage even if the person is not knocked out | T | 122 (85.3) |
6. A little brain damage doesn’t matter much, since people only use a part of their brains anyway | F | 126 (88.1) | |
7. It is obvious that someone has brain damage because they look different from people who don’t have brain damage | F | 97 (67.8) | |
8. Whiplash injuries to the neck can cause brain damage even if there is no direct blow to the head | T | 118 (82.5) | |
Mean % of misconceptions | Â | 80.9 | |
Brain injury sequelae | 9. It is common for people with brain injuries to be easily angered | T | 81 (56.6) |
10. It is possible that a person’s personality will change after a brain injury | T | 104 (72.7) | |
11.Problems with speech, coordination, and walking can be caused by brain damage | T | 131 (91.6) | |
12. Problems with irritability and difficulties controlling anger are common in people who have had a brain injury | T | 117 (81.8) | |
13. Most people with brain damage are not fully aware of its effect on their behaviour | T | 123 (86.0) | |
14. Brain injury patients usually show a good understanding of their problems because they experience them every day | F | 62 (43.4) | |
15. Brain injuries may cause one to feel depressed, sad and hopeless | T | 118 (82.5) | |
16. Drinking alcohol may affect a person differently after a brain injury | T | 116 (81.1) | |
17. It is common for people to experience changes in behaviour after a brain injury | T | 110 (76.9) | |
 | Mean % of misconceptions |  | 74.7 |
Unconsciousness | 18. When people are knocked unconscious, most wake up quickly with no lasting effects | F | 66 (46.2) |
19. People in a coma are usually not aware of what is happening around them | T | 116 (81.1) | |
20. Even after several weeks in coma, when people wake up, most recognise and speak to others right away | F | 48 (33.6) | |
Mean % of misconceptions | Â | 53.6 | |
Amnesia | 21. People usually have more trouble remembering things that happen after an injury than remembering things from before | T | 115 (80.4) |
22. Sometimes a second blow to the head can help a person remember things that were forgotten | F | 61 (42.7) | |
23. A person with a brain injury may have trouble remembering events that happened before the injury, but usually does not have trouble learning new things | F | 35 (24.5) | |
24. People with brain injury can forget who they are and not recognise others, but be normal in every other way | F | 29 (20.3) | |
Mean % of misconceptions | Â | 42.0 | |
Recovery | 25.Recovery from a brain injury usually is complete in about 5 months | F | 80 (55.9) |
26. Complete recovery from a severe brain injury is not possible, no matter how badly the person wants to recover | T | 81 (56.6) | |
27. Once a person is able to walk again, his/her brain is almost fully recovered | F | 63 (44.1) | |
28. Slow recovery may continue even 1 year after injury | T | 119 (83.2) | |
29. It is necessary for a person to go through a lot of physical pain to recover from a brain injury | F | 30 (21.0) | |
30. Once a person with a brain injury realises where they are, they will always be aware of this | F | 44 (30.8) | |
31. A person who has recovered from a head injury is less able to withstand a second blow to the head | T | 106 (74.1) | |
32. Asking persons who have had a brain injury about their progress is the most accurate, informative way to find out how they have progressed | F | 38 (26.6) | |
33. It is good advice to remain completely inactive during recovery from a brain injury | F | 83 (58.0) | |
34. Once a person recovering from a brain injury feels ‘back to normal’ the recovery process is complete | F | 38 (26.6) | |
35. How quickly a person recovers depends mainly on how hard he or she works at recovering | F | 29 (20.3) | |
Mean % of misconceptions | Â | 45.2 | |
Rehabilitation | 36. ‘Cognitive’ refers to thinking processes such as memory, attention and learning | T | 135 (94.4) |
37. ‘Cognitive’ refers to the ability to move your body | F | 106 (74.1) | |
38. The primary goal of brain injury rehabilitation is to increase physical abilities such as walking | F | 48 (33.6) | |
 | Mean % of misconceptions |  | 67.4 |