Attitudes of Graduate and Undergraduate Students Toward People with Disabilities

Abstract

This study was done for the purpose of determining if the amount of contact and type of contact someone has with a person with a disability effects attitudes toward people with disabilities. The MIDS (Modified Issues in Disability Scale) was administered to one-hundred and seventy graduate and undergraduate students to determine current attitudes toward people with disabilities. In addition, these students were asked to answer demographic questions along with questions regarding the amount and type of contact they have had with a person with a disability. A two-way ANOVA was administered to determine if there was a relationship between the amount of contact and type of contact and attitude scores. Significance was found for both the time spent and the type of contact. More positive attitudes were found in work relationships and spending a moderate amount of time with a person with a disability. Less positive attitudes were found when no time was spent and there was no relationship with a person with a disability