Mothers' postcounseling beliefs about the causes of their children's genetic disorders

Mothers' postcounseling beliefs about the causes of their children's genetic disorders were investigated by means of a Q-sort consisting of 54 statements of possible beliefs that were sorted into nine groups of six items each on the basis of congruence with the subject's beliefs. The subjects were well educated, knowledgeable about the genetics of their child's disorder, and indicated a high level of belief in genetic causes. Differences in beliefs were associated with differences in genetic etiology, indicating that beliefs were affected by the specific information provided in genetic counseling. Factor analysis identified a cluster of Q-sort items characterized by a highly personal relationship to the cause of the disorder (e.g., personal attributes, being selected and blessed, and God's actions). Subjects who rated these items low had a belief pattern, designated impersonal, that was consistent with a scientific worldview and that indicated psychological distancing from the cause of the child's disorder. Subjects who rated these items high, the personal belief pattern, had a mixture of scientific and nonscientific beliefs that indicated a sense of personal involvement in the cause of the child's disorder. Subjects with the two belief patterns were equally knowledgeable about the genetics of the disorder. Thus, the personal belief pattern did not appear to interfere with acceptance or understanding of the information provided in genetic counseling.