The purpose of this study was to compare the acceptability of different anomalous or disabled persons in certain social situations. A group of 94 subjects composed of college undergraduates, graduate students, and psychiatric technicians ranked 10 anomalies with respect to desirability in a friend and as a self affliction. They also filled out a social distance questionnaire. Results suggested that six dimensions probably combine and interact in the formation of stereotypes of anomalous persons-visibility, communication, social stigma, reversability, degree of incapacity, and difficulty in daily living.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BogardusE. S.Measuring social distance. Journal of Applied Sociology, 1925, 9, 299–308.
2.
JonesR. L., GottfriedN. W., & OwensA.The social distance of the exceptional: A study at the high school level. Exceptional Children, 1966, 32, 551–556.
3.
SillerJ., & ChipmanA.Perceptions of the physically disabled by the non-disabled. A paper presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, California, 1964. (a)
4.
SillerJ., & ChipmanA.Factorial structure and correlates of the attitude toward disabled persons scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 1964, 24, 831–840. (b)
5.
SillerJ., & ChipmanA.Attitudes of the non-disabled toward the physically disabled. A final report on Vocational Rehabilitation Project RD-707, May, 1967.