1Ph. D. Research Scholar, Centre for Health Psychology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
2Assistant Professor, Centre for Health Psychology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
3Professor, Centre for Health Psychology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
4Assistant Professor, Centre for Health Psychology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
5Professor, School of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Online published on 1 November, 2018.
This study aimed to understand children's conceptualization of the disease cancer and track the changes in the complexity in comprehending cancer with progression in class. The sample was drawn from three schools that enrolled socioeconomically disadvantaged group of children enrolled from class VI to class X. Results were analyzed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis. Content analysis identified a total of seven themes into which the responses were distributed. The complexity of conceptualization was measured by evolving Entropy scores or Divergence Index. It clearly tracked a progressive developmental trend in complexity of the schema among the children.
Cancer, conceptual complexity, cancer awareness, children's concept, concept development
