Phelps Ceri, Hutchings Paul Barry, Stokes Tim, Cooke Zoe, Williams Mark, Jenkins Sean
Centre for Psychology and Counselling, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Wales, United Kingdom.
Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Wales, United Kingdom.
Prosthet Orthot Int. 2025 Apr 1;49(2):173-178. doi: 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000396. Epub 2024 Oct 10.
To explore the impact of an aesthetic prosthetic leg cover on attitudes toward individuals with lower-limb amputation and associated social interaction cues among the general UK population.
Two novel experimental methodologies.
In study 1, participants (n = 188) viewed 1 of 3 images of an individual: (1) wearing a traditional stem prosthetic, (2) wearing an aesthetic leg cover, or (3) as a nonamputee. They then completed an attitude scale and rated the personality of the individual using the 10-item Big Five Inventory. Study 2 (n = 31) used eye tracking and facial expression software to explore gaze and facial arousal when viewing 1 of 9 manipulated videos of the same individual talking about 3 different scenarios.
In study 1, the aesthetic leg cover led to significantly higher ratings of agreeableness than stem and nonamputee images and significantly higher ratings of extraversion than the nonamputee image. Attitudes toward an individual with a prosthesis did not significantly differ depending on which image they viewed and were generally positive. In study 2, all participants focused mainly on the individual's face regardless of scenario topic or leg condition, although participants focused more around the leg cover in more active contexts.
Customized aesthetic leg covers may help individuals living with amputation to be perceived more positively in social situations. These experimental methodologies could be extended to explore the differential impact of context, functionality, and activity of specific types of customized aesthetic prosthetics and could help inform shared decision-making processes in clinical settings.
探讨美观的假肢护套对英国普通人群中对下肢截肢者态度及相关社交互动线索的影响。
两种新颖的实验方法。
在研究1中，参与者（n = 188）观看了3张图片中的1张，图片中的人物分别为：（1）佩戴传统柱形假肢；（2）佩戴美观的腿部护套；（3）未截肢者。然后他们完成了一个态度量表，并使用10项大五人格量表对图片中人物的性格进行评分。研究2（n = 31）使用眼动追踪和面部表情软件，在观看同一个人谈论3种不同场景的9个经过处理的视频中的1个时，探究注视情况和面部兴奋度。
在研究1中，与柱形假肢图片和未截肢者图片相比，美观的腿部护套图片在宜人性评分上显著更高，在外向性评分上比未截肢者图片显著更高。对佩戴假肢者的态度，无论观看的是哪张图片，均无显著差异，且总体呈积极态度。在研究2中，所有参与者主要关注人物的面部，无论场景主题或腿部状况如何，不过在更活跃的场景中，参与者更多地关注腿部护套周围。
定制的美观腿部护套可能有助于截肢者在社交场合中获得更积极的认知。这些实验方法可扩展用于探究特定类型定制美观假肢的背景、功能和活动的不同影响，并有助于为临床环境中的共同决策过程提供参考。
