Studies of Attitudes toward the Handicapped: The Need for a New Direction

Like blacks and women, the handicapped can be viewed as a minority group that has been discriminated against; common stereotypes attributing dependency, sadness, and isolation reduce role expectations and lead to restrictions of their behaviors and opportunities. There are three levels of attitudes toward the handicapped: peer groups, professionals and the general public. Here I review attitude literature and point out problem areas including ambiguity of attitude object and of the concept of “contact,” limited respondent pool, and others. I make suggestions for tapping the multidimensionality of handicapping conditions, standardizing the concept of ”contrast,” and avoiding the stereotyping produced by labels. I emphasize the importance of contextual effects because the handicapped as a minority are subject to institutionalized patterns of behavior and definitions of the situation within the structural framework of society.