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Journal of Pediatric Psychology 8(4) pp. 327-343, 1983
© 1983 Society of Pediatric Psychology

research-article

Changing Children's Attitudes Toward Physically Handicapped Peers: Effects of a Film and Teacher-Led Discussion

Dien Van Westervelt1,, John Brantley and William Ware

Children's Rehabilitation Center, University of Virginia Medical Center, University of North Carolina

1All correspondence should be addressed to Van D. Westervelt, Children's Rehabilitation Center, 2270 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901.

Numerous studies indicate that elementary-aged children hold negative attitudes to wards physically handicapped peers. As a pretest, the attraction of 280 fourth graders to a photograph of a handicapped child using crutches and braces was assessed. A film emphasizing the similarities between a handicapped student and able-bodied peers was evaluated by randomly assigning the students by classroom to one of three groups: a group which only viewed the film, a group which saw the film and participated in a teacher-led discussion, or a control group. Posttests administered to the subjects immediately following the film and again 1 week later were two attraction measures and a measure of interest similarity between subjects and a handicapped peer. The data used to analyze treatment effects were from those students whose attraction to a handicapped peer was at the median or below on the pretest. Compared to controls both interventions had an effect on students' attraction to the physically handicapped peer; however, there was no effect on interest similarity. The effects on attraction were maintained over the follow-up period. It was concluded that the film had value for improving children's attitudes toward a physically handicapped peer but there was not evidence that the change was mediated by the "similarity attraction" model.

Key words: Attitudes; handicapped children; attraction.


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