Public awareness, attitudes and beliefs regarding intellectual disability: a systematic review.
Most ID awareness drives are never properly tested—so add clear targets and data checks before you launch.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Scior (2011) looked at 75 studies about what the public thinks of intellectual disability.
Most were simple surveys that asked people how they felt.
Hardly any tested real programs meant to change minds.
What they found
The review found big holes in the research.
We know people hold stigma, but we do not know which campaigns truly reduce it.
Most projects were never measured with strong designs.
How this fits with other research
Walker et al. (2013) filled one gap. They ran a true experiment and showed two short online films can nudge attitudes, yet the effect was small and faded fast.
Bigham et al. (2013) and Sheridan et al. (2013) added culture. They found White UK adults and teens were more inclusive than British South Asian peers. This tells us one-size-fits-all campaigns will miss the mark.
Scior et al. (2013) stretched the map further. Only 8 % of Kuwaiti students spotted mild ID, against 33 % of UK students. The review’s call for better tools and cross-country data still stands.
Why it matters
If you plan any stigma-reduction effort, build in real measures from day one. Track attitude change, social distance, and actual behavior. Use short films or contact sessions, but repeat them and add booster lessons. Tailor content to each cultural group you serve. Without this built-in data loop, you will join the long list of well-meant campaigns that leave no evidence behind.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The general public's responses to people with intellectual disabilities influence the likely success or failure of policies aimed at increasing their social inclusion. The present paper provides a review of general population based research into awareness, attitudes and beliefs regarding intellectual disability published in English between 1990 and mid-2011. An electronic search using PsycINFO and Web of Science plus a hand search of the literature was completed. Most of the 75 studies identified consisted of descriptive surveys of attitudes. They tend to conclude that age, educational attainment and prior contact with someone with an intellectual disability predict attitudes, while the effect of gender is inconsistent. Eight studies examined lay knowledge about intellectual disability and beliefs about its causation in a range of cultural contexts. The impact of interventions designed to improve attitudes or awareness was examined by 12 studies. The evidence is limited by the fact that it is mostly based on relatively small unrepresentative samples and cross-sectional designs. It is concluded that overall, high quality research into general population attitudes to intellectual disability is limited. Public knowledge of intellectual disability and causal beliefs are particularly under-researched areas. There is a notable absence of well designed evaluations of efforts to reduce misconceptions about intellectual disability and tackle negative attitudes. Areas for future research are noted, including the need for well designed studies that consider awareness, attitudes and beliefs in relation to stigma theory.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.005