Effects of Labels on Attitudes of Educators toward Handicapped Children

Abstract

Effects of clinical labels on attitudes of experienced and inexperienced educators toward exceptional children were explored. Labeled and unlabeled descriptions of mentally deficient, psychopathic, schizophrenic, and cerebral palsied children were distributed to 160 educators. Attitudes toward the children, and the labels, were measured on a 25 item rating scale. Results were interpreted to mean that labeling does affect the educator's perception of exceptional children. The effects were not consistent for different labels. For the mentally deficient, the child was seen more negatively when the description was unlabeled than when labeled. Labeled descriptions of psychopathic, schizophrenic, and cerebral palsied children were rated more negatively than were unlabeled versions. Experience did not seem to affect educators’ perceptions of exceptional children.