Fifty subjects concerned and in continual interaction with visually impaired individuals were randomly assigned to view one of two videotapes. The tapes showed two visually impaired children without gaze direction and two with gaze direction, responding to a random set of questions from two adults sitting on either side of a child. Subjects viewed the same four children, although in different order and in opposite conditions. Analyses revealed that when a visually impaired child utilized gaze direction toward the questioner, the child was evaluated, by informed respondents, as being more intelligent and more socially competent than when the child did not use gaze direction.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArgyleM., LalljeeM., & CookM. (1968). The effects of visibility on interaction in a dyad.Human Relations, 21, 3–17.
2.
BishopV.E. (1986). Identifying components of success in mainstreaming.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 80, 939–946.
3.
BonfantiB.H. (1979). Effects of training on verbal and non-verbal behaviors of congenitally blind adults.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 73, 1–9.
4.
ChevignyH., & BravermanS. (1950). The adjustment of the blind.New Haven: Yale University Press.
5.
CowenE.L., UnderbergR.P., & VerrilloR.T. (1958). The development and testing of the attitude to blindness scale, Journal of Social Psychology, 48, 297–304.
6.
DavisF. (1961). Deviance disavowal: The management of strained interaction by the visually handicapped.Social Problems, 9, 120–132.
7.
DionK. (1972). Physical attractiveness and evaluation of children's transgressions.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 207–213.
8.
DionK., BerscheidE., & WalsterE. (1972). What is beautiful is good.Journal of Personal Social Psychology, 24, 285–290.
9.
EllsworthP.C., & LudwigL. (1972). Visual behavior in social interaction.The Journal of Communication, 22, 375–403.
10.
FeinmanS. (1979). Do sighted people respond to different levels of vision loss?Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 73, 185–190.
11.
HobenM. (1976). Reducing isolation in the mainstream: Final report.Minneapolis: Hennepin Technical Center.
12.
JonesR. (1970). Learning and association in the presence of the blind.New Outlook for the Blind, 64, 317–324.
13.
KleckR., OnoH., & HastorfA. (1966). The effects of physical deviance upon face-to-face interaction.Human Relations, 19, 425–436.
14.
KuhnJ. (1971). A comparison of teacher attitude toward blindness and exposure to blind children.New Outlook for the Blind, 65, 337–340.
15.
MatsudaM. (1984). A comprehensive analysis of blind and sighted children's communication skills.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 78, 1–5.
16.
MillerA. (1970). Role of physical attractiveness in formation.Psychonomic Science, 19, 241–243.
17.
NeisworthS., JonesK., & SmithR. (1978). Body behavior problems: A conceptualization.Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 13, 265–271.
18.
RaverS.A. (1984). Modification of head droop during conversation in a 3-year-old visually impaired child: A case study.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 78, 307–310.
19.
RaverS.A. (1987(a). Training gaze direction in blind children: Attitude effects on the sighted.Remedial and Special Education, 8, 40–45.
20.
RaverS.A. (1987(b). Training blind children to employ appropriate gaze direction and sitting behavior during conversation.Education and Treatment of Children, 10, 237–246.
21.
RogersS.J., & PuchalskiC. (1986). Social smiles of visually impaired infants.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 80, 863–865.
22.
ScheureleJ., GuilfordA., & GarciaS. (1982). Employer bias associated with cleft lip/palate.Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 13, p. 6–8; 45.
23.
SilbermanR. (1982). Education of visually impaired children: A survey of priorities in New York state.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 76, 53–57.
24.
SkrticT., ClarkF., & WhiteW. (1982). Modification of attitudes of regular education preservice teachers toward visually impaired students.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 76, 49–52.
25.
StewartI., Van HasseltV., SimonJ., & ThompsonW. (1985). The community adjustment program (CAP) for visually impaired adolescents.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 79, 49–54.
26.
Van HasseltV.B., SimonJ., & MastanuonoA.K. (1984). Social skills training for blind children and adolescents.Education of the Visually Handicapped, 14, 34–40.
27.
WarrenD.H. (1977). Blindness and early childhood development.New York: American Foundation for the Blind.
28.
WorkmanS.H. (1986). Teachers’ verbalizations and the social interaction of blind pre-schoolers.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 80, 532–534.
