DIGGING DEEPER: ATTITUDES AND INTERACTION INTENTION TOWARD PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in governmental policies to promote the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. However, the positive attitudes of these social policies do not seem to be reflected at the personal level. This study proposes that there are two distinct levels of attitudes: personal and societal. Accordingly, these attitudes are expected to have differential effects on behavioural intentions to interact with people with intellectual disabilities, with personal attitudes of discomfort and sympathy being stronger predictors of interaction intention. The impact of prior contact is also examined as a possible predictor of interation intention. Results of the study provided partial support for these hypotheses. Discomfort and sympathy were found to be significant predictors of interaction intention, but societal attitude was not found to be a direct predictor. Instead, it indirectly predicted interaction intention through the mediator, discomfort. Prior contact was also found to indirectly predict interaction intention through the mediator, discomfort. These findings provide insights to the use of specific levels of attitudes in predicting interaction with persons with intellectual disabilities.