Types of tasks and attitude change in cooperative situations

Abstract

This study investigates interpersonal attitudes in relationship to cooperation of the sighted and the visually handicapped.Two types of cooperation-with distributed responses (DC) and without distributed responses (NC)-were used as the experimental condition. Ten pairs of sighted and blind students cooperated under DC and 12 pairs cooperated under NC. The main results: (1) The sighted changed their attitudes positively not only toward their partners but also toward the blind in general after cooperation under DC and NC. (2) Though the blind changed their attitudes positively not only toward their partners but also toward the sighted in general after cooperation under DC and NC, these effects were less remarkable than the changing attitudes of the sighted. (3) On the follow-up test attitudes of the sighted and the blind toward partners under DC were more positive than under NC. (4) The sighted under DC rated contribution of their partners higher than those under NC. Effect of cooperation on attitude change concerning perceptual clarity of the members' role in the two types of cooperation is discussed.