An Attempt to Change College Students’ Attitudes Toward Individuals With Disabilities

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of taking a disability studies course on college students’ attitudes toward people with disabilities, with the expectation that, after exposure to content and activities that focus on people with disabilities, the students’ attitudes would become more positive. Two groups of students completed a survey, the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale toward Persons with Disabilities at the beginning and again at the end of the semester. One group received instruction in a comprehensive disability studies course, while the other group did not. The scale has three subscales measuring affect (emotions such as nervousness and fear), cognitions (such as “We may get along well”), and behaviors (such as “Move away”) with respect to individuals with disabilities. There were no differences in changes in these scores between the two groups of students. Researchers discussed reasons for the failure to find differences.