Controlled evaluation of an educational intervention used to modify peer attitudes and behavior toward persons with Tourette's Syndrome.
A short TS facts video lifts survey kindness but does not move real social behavior.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers showed a three-minute video about Tourette Syndrome to college students.
They wanted to see if facts alone would make peers nicer and more inclusive.
The study used a randomized controlled trial so some students saw the video and some did not.
What they found
After the video, students said better things about TS in surveys.
But when researchers watched real social moments, behavior hardly changed.
Attitudes improved, yet inclusion stayed the same.
How this fits with other research
Stofleth et al. (2022) recorded adults with TS who still get blamed for "rude" tics every day.
Their stories show that brief facts do not stop deep social habits.
Coleman et al. (2023) add that young women hide tics to fit gender rules, so peer warmth matters more than simple awareness.
Together the three papers say: knowledge is only step one; real change needs practice and support.
Why it matters
Use the video to open the topic, then add role-play and contact with people who have TS.
Pair facts with chances to practice friendly responses so inclusion follows the new attitude.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Individuals who exhibit motor and vocal tics are viewed as less socially acceptable than persons who do not exhibit tics. Efforts have been made to alter the negative perceptions through the use of education. However, the effectiveness of peer education and whether it need be Tourette syndrome (TS) specific remains unclear. One hundred and seventy college students were randomly assigned to view either an educational video about TS, a video about depression, or no educational video, before providing attitudinal and behavioral data on social acceptance of either an actor or actress engaging in motor and vocal tics. Those viewing the TS-specific educational video held more positive attitudes toward persons with tics than those receiving the other two interventions; however, the effect on social behavior intentions and actual social behavior was unclear. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Behavior modification, 2005 · doi:10.1177/0145445505279379