Children's concepts of physical illness: A review and critique of the cognitive-developmental literature.

Abstract

Cognitive-developmental studies relevant to children's concepts of physical illness are reviewed and critiqued. Although numerous methodological weaknesses make firm conclusions difficult, most data appear to suggest that children's concepts of illness do evolve in a systematic and predictable sequence consistent with Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Methodological weaknesses identified include poor description of samples, assessment instruments, and procedures; lack of control over potential observer bias, expectancy effects, and other confounding variables; and minimal attention to reliability and validity issues. Increased methodological rigor and a further explication of the specific and unique ways in which children's concepts of illness develop over the course of cognitive development could substantially increase the value of these studies for professionals in pediatric health care settings.