Factors Affecting the Perception of Disability: A Developmental Perspective

Abstract

Perception of disability is an important construct affecting not only the well-being of individuals with disabilities, but also the moral compass of the society. Negative attitudes toward disability disempower individuals with disabilities and lead to their social exclusion and isolation. By contrast, a healthy society encourages positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities and promotes social inclusion. The current review explored disability perception in the light of the in-group vs. out-group dichotomy, since individuals with disabilities may be perceived as a special case of out-group. We implemented a developmental approach to study perception of disability from early age into adolescence while exploring cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of children’s attitudes. Potential factors influencing perception of disability were considered at the level of society, family and school environment, and the individual. Better understanding of factors influencing the development of disability perception would allow the design of effective interventions to improve children’s attitudes toward peers with disabilities, reduce intergroup biases, and promote social inclusion. Based on previous research in social and developmental psychology, education, and anthropology, we proposed an integrative model that provides a conceptual framework for understanding the development of disability perception.

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Marital Attitudes of Pregnant Women at Risk for Cystic Fibrosis and Psychological Impact of Prenatal Screening

“…Oppositely, there can be a certain level of higher social reluctance and lower social acceptance towards these particular cases. Nevertheless, CFTR-carrier pregnant women did not score significantly different results in the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile regarding stress levels, social support, and self-esteem, probably indicating that the acknowledgement of having a child with potential genetic disorders or malformations does not determine significant changes until or after birth, as other studies suggest [ 37 ].…”

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

“…Babik and Gardner [ 6 ] explored the factors affecting the perception of disability from a developmental perspective. Their results suggested that, generally, the favorable attitudes toward disability of 3-year-old children become increasingly negative by 7–8 years, with negativity decreasing subsequently.…”

“…Children’s attitudes toward disability are an essential factor to be explored to implement effective inclusive education programs and disability awareness campaigns aimed at reducing the discrimination and stigma toward people with disabilities [ 1 ], especially because children with disabilities are often subject to prejudice from their peers [ 6 , 7 ]. As previous studies suggested, it is crucial to understand these attitudes for timely, age-appropriate, and successful interventions to minimize stigmatization and social exclusion behaviors [ 8 ].…”

Teachers’ perceptions on their competence and the benefits of inclusive education

“…Human rights have consistently been a vital issue in the international arena and unlimited efforts have been carried out by nongovernmental organisations and governments globally in safeguarding these rights, regardless of the characteristics that each individual has (Marcinkutė, 2011). However, there are still certain groups of people who experience exclusion due to their special characteristics such as their gender, socio-economic status, culture, religious background and disabilities (Babik & Gardner, 2021;Prattley et al, 2020). Education, which is a basic human right, is made as a tool to fight against the isolation of these people and eradicate discrimination of the weak sectors of the society.…”