Emotional Arousal in Interactions with Stigmatized Persons

Goffman (1963) has argued that interactions between physically disabled and physically normal persons will be anxious and unanchored for both participants. This is supported by Richardson, et a1. (1961) who reported that the nonhandicapped person often does experience uncomfortableness and uncertainty when interacting with a physically stigmatized person and by Kleck, Hastorf, and Ono (1966) who found that Ss generated significantly greater GSR arousal when interacting with a physically disabled confederate than with a physically normal confederate. In the last study the self report of emotional arousal tended to parallel the GSR findings. A study conducted by the present author provides further data regarding felt emotional arousal in interactions among disabled-nondisabled Ss. As in the Kleck, er aL. (1966) study a physical disability was simulated through the use of a specially constructed wheel chair which allowed the same person to play the part of a physically normal person or a lefc leg amputee. In both studies no S ever suspected the deception but was informed of it at the end of the experimental sessions. Two confederates played the roles of the normal and disabled stimulus persons, and S interacted with each confederate on separate occasions. Each confederate appeared equally often in both roles across Ss. The confederates were age peers of Ss and underwent extensive training to ensure similarity of behavior in the two roles. The interaction context was identical for the handicapped and the nonhandicapped conditions. The confederate and S were asked ro describe themselves and several of their attitudes to the other person. Ss were 15 male high school srudents who were paid for their participation. The primary data were 16-mm. films of Ss interacting with the confederates. These data are currently under analysis and will be reported later. Results of analyzing replies to a post-experimental question in which S was asked to describe on a seven-point scale, ranging from very to not at all, how emotionally comfortable he felt in the interaction with the confederates are reported here. As was expected, Ss reported less emotional comfort when interacting with the physically disabled confederate (t = 2.39, df = 14, p < .05). Goffman (1963) has termed such uneasiness the pathology of interaction. Its antecedents in interactions involving the physically stigmatized merit further