%0 Journal Article
%T Theory of mind and parental nurturance as predictors of peer relationships after childhood traumatic brain injury: a test of moderated mediation
%J Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
%D 2019
%A Deighton, Stephanie
%A Durish, Christianne Laliberté
%A Taylor, H. Gerry
%A Rubin, Kenneth
%A Dennis, Maureen
%A Bigler, Erin D.
%A Vannatta, Kathryn
%A Gerhardt, Cynthia A.
%A Stancin, Terry
%A Yeates, Keith Owen
%V ePub
%N ePub
%P 1-10
%X OBJECTIVE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained in childhood is associated with poor social outcomes. This study investigated the role of theory of mind (ToM) as a mediator of the relation between TBI and peer rejection/victimization and reciprocated friendships, as well as the moderating effect of parental nurturance on those relationships. <br><br>METHOD: Participants were children of 8-13 years old (M = 10.45, SD = 1.47), including 13 with severe TBI, 39 with complicated mild/moderate TBI, and 32 children with orthopedic injuries. Data on peer rejection/victimization and friendship were collected in school classrooms using the Extended Class Play and friendship nominations. Parents rated parental nurturance using the Child-Rearing Practices Report. Finally, ToM was measured based on children's average performance across three tasks measuring different aspects of ToM. <br><br>RESULTS: Severe TBI was associated with poorer ToM, greater peer rejection/victimization, and fewer reciprocated friendships. ToM mediated the relation between severe TBI and peer rejection/victimization (i.e., severe TBI predicted poorer ToM, which in turn predicted greater rejection/victimization). Parental nurturance significantly moderated this relation, such that the mediating effect of ToM was significant only at low and average levels of parental nurturance, for both severe and complicated mild/moderate TBI groups. Neither the mediating effect of ToM nor the moderating effect of parental nurturance was significant for reciprocated friendships. <br><br>CONCLUSION: High parental nurturance may mitigate the negative effects of ToM deficits on risk of peer rejection/victimization among children with TBI. Interventions designed to increase parental nurturance or ToM may promote better social outcomes among children with TBI.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Cambridge University Press
%@ 1355-6177
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S135561771900064X