Children’s Self-Esteem and Attitudes toward Disability, Perceived Competence and Morality: The Indirect Effect of Cognitive Empathy

Abstract

The present study explored children’s attitudes toward disability and the links with demographic factors (i.e., gender) and personal factors (i.e., empathy, sympathy, self-esteem). Our sample comprised 405 children aged 9 to 11 (M = 9.88, SD = 0.65, 47.4% males). First, we explored the links between self-esteem, empathy (cognitive and affective), and attitudes toward disability. Then, by using three scenarios involving a child in a wheelchair (Group 1), a child with an intellectual disability (Group 2), and a child with visual impairment (Group 3), we investigated the perceived competence and morality of these characters. The results suggested that cognitive empathy mediated the link between self-esteem and attitudes toward disability. Moreover, our data suggested that the character in a wheelchair (Group 1) received the highest scores regarding morality and competence, whereas the character with an intellectual disability (Group 2) received the lowest scores. We discuss the present findings regarding their practical implications for inclusive education strategies.

Engelsiz Gençlik Kampına Katılan Öğretmenlerin Perspektifinden Fiziksel Aktiviteler Sırasındaki Akran Reddi

“…Bu olumsuz etkilerin en başında da akran reddi gelmektedir. Akran reddi: gruptan dışlama, baskı kurma, yalnızlaştırma, etkinliklerin içine dahil etmeme ve arkadaşlık kurmama gibi birçok olumsuz davranışı içeren ve insanlar arası sosyalleşmeyi engelleyen negatif bir ilişki olarak ifade edilebilmektedir (Maftei, 2022;Torop vd., 2021;Kiuru vd., 2012). Tipik gelişim gösteren bireyler arasında yaşandığı gibi özel gereksinimli bireyler arasında da akran reddi gibi sosyal entegrasyon problemleri yaşanabilmektedir.…”