Public attitudes towards intellectual disability: a multidimensional perspective.
Public attitudes toward ID look sunny on direct surveys, but indirect questions reveal hidden stigma—measure both before you act.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Prigge et al. (2013) asked adults in Quebec how they feel, think, and act toward people with intellectual disability. They used a 42-item survey that splits attitudes into three parts: warm feelings, thoughts, and willingness to interact.
The team wanted a baseline map before any awareness campaign. They mailed the survey to a random sample and weighted answers to match census data.
What they found
Most people gave positive answers across all three parts. Women, younger adults, and those with more education scored higher. The biggest boost came from having a friend, coworker, or relative with ID.
Still, even positive groups showed some distance. For example, many agreed people with ID should work, but fewer wanted them as close coworkers.
How this fits with other research
Critchfield (2015) seems to disagree. When Israeli adults answered indirect questions, stigma scores jumped. The difference is method: D used direct self-report, which can hide bias. Use both kinds of items if you need the real picture.
Perez et al. (2015) explains why contact matters. They found quality beats quantity. One real friendship helped; passing someone on the street did not. This backs D’s finding that close relationships lift scores.
Spriggs et al. (2015) gives percentile tables for the same survey. You can now compare any local group to the Quebec norms and see if an intervention moves the needle.
Why it matters
You now have a tested tool and a clear norm line. Before starting inclusion training, run the ATTID survey. If scores sit at the 30th percentile, you have room to grow. After training, test again and check if you beat the Quebec average. Share the percentile rank with stakeholders; numbers speak louder than feel-good stories.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Public attitudes towards persons with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have a significant effect on potential community integration. A better understanding of these can help target service provision and public awareness programmes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study is threefold: (1) describe public attitudes towards persons with ID along affective, cognitive and behavioural dimensions; (2) compare and contrast attitudes according to sex, age, education and income, as well as frequency and quality of contacts with persons with ID; and (3) ascertain whether the level of functioning has an effect on attitudes. METHODS: The Attitudes Toward Intellectual Disability Questionnaire (ATTID) was administered by phone to 1605 randomly selected adult men and women, stratified by region in the province of Québec, Canada. The ATTID uses a multidimensional perspective of attitudes that reflect affective, cognitive and behavioural dimensions. RESULTS: The results showed that public attitudes were generally positive regarding all three attitudinal dimensions. Public attitudes towards persons with ID are presented in terms of the five factors measured through the ATTID: (1) discomfort; (2) sensibility or tenderness; (3) knowledge of causes; (4) knowledge of capacity and rights; and (5) interaction. Attitude factor scores vary as a function of participant characteristics (sex, age, education and income) and the degree of knowledge about ID, the number of persons with ID known to the participants, as well as the frequency and quality of their contacts with these persons. Men had greater negative attitudes than women as regards the discomfort factor, while women had more negative attitudes regarding the knowledge of capacity and rights factor. More positive attitudes were revealed among younger and more educated participants. Attitudes were generally not associated with income. Public attitudes tended to be more negative towards people with lower functioning ID. CONCLUSION: These results yield useful information to target public awareness and education.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2013 · doi:10.1111/jir.12008