Prognostic Beliefs Scale

Over the past several decades, increasing attention has been given to the quality of medical and other related services received by individuals with disabilities. A key component influencing the quality of services given to individuals with disabilities is the attitudes of service providers (see Wolraich, Siperstein & Reed, 1993; Horwitz, Kerker, Owens, & Zigler, 2000). Twenty years ago, the Center for Social Development and Education developed an attitude scale designed specifically for service providers regarding individuals with disabilities (Wolraich & Siperstein, 1983). This instrument, called the Prognostic Beliefs Scale (PBS) has been successfully used with a wide range of professionals who provide services to individuals with disabilities (such as physicians, social workers, educators, human service workers, dentists, psychologists, nurses, etc.).

The purpose of the Prognostic Beliefs Scale is to assess respondents’ perceptions about the current capabilities or future capabilities of a person with a disability. The PBS consists of 27 capabilities that cover self-help, social, and independent living skills (Wolraich & Siperstein, 1983). Tasks in this scale range from simple (such as “uses utensils while eating,”) to complex (“fills out a job application,”). Respondents are given the list of capabilities and are asked to think about a specific attitude target. The target could be a person with “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe,” mental retardation or the target could be an explicit case study of an individual with a specific genetic condition (e.g. Down Syndrome) or medical condition (e.g. hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, etc.). Respondents check off the skills they believe the target person is able to (or will be able to) achieve. Results have shown that the more positive an individual’s prognosis (a higher number of items checked), the greater the expectation for individuals with intellectual disabilities to live and work in independent placements.

The scale can be given in a one-time assessment or as a pre/post assessment to assess the impact of a training intervention. In addition, the PBS can be given in conjunction with measures of behavioral intention.

For a list of articles by Wolraich & Siperstein that employ the PBS, please click here.

Additional information on the PBS may be obtained by emailing csde@umb.edu.