Age and Sex Differences in Values toward Physical Handicaps

The values toward various disabilities of children from kindergarten through high school and of their parents were studied. Pictures of a child with various physical handicaps were used to develop a preference ranking method. It was shown that values toward disability gradually change with increasing age, until by the twelfth grade values of boys and girls closely resemble those of parents of the same sex. Older females conform more to their peer values than older males. Consistent sex differences are found in preference ranking of cosmetic and functional handicaps and in the percentage of highest preference for the child without a handicap. Inferences about the mechanisms involved in the learning of values toward disability are discussed.