Effects of textual and pictorial information upon perceptions of Down syndrome: An analogue study

The aim of this analogue study is to determine whether presenting information about Down syndrome (DS) using text or pictures has different effects upon perceptions of the Down syndrome and behavioural expectations about using prenatal tests and terminating an affected pregnancy. A 4 x 3 between participants factorial design was used, in which 814 undergraduates were provided with information about Down syndrome in different forms (textual information: positive, negative, neutral and no information x pictorial information: positive, negative or no picture). There were main effects of the textual and pictorial information upon some of the dependant variables. There were no interactions between these two types of information. Photographs, whether depicting positive or negative images of DS, increased concern about having a child with Down syndrome compared with the responses of those not receiving a photograph. The negative photograph increased expectations to undergo prenatal tests and to terminate an affected pregnancy, and there was a trend for the positive photograph to result in an increased expectation to undergo prenatal testing. Textual information, if negative, increased expectations of undergoing a termination, compared to neutral or positive description of DS. Textual and pictorial information about a medical condition seem to have different effects upon perceptions and expectations. A clinically-based study is needed to determine whether such effects are evident in this setting.