Attitudes towards persons with disabilities by Educational Science students: importance of contact, its frequency and the type of disability.

Abstract

According to Contact Theory, direct experience between people with and without disabilities seems to be the basis for building and changing beliefs and, therefore, behaviours. The present study enquires into Educational Science university students’ attitudes towards people with disabilities analysing the differences that occur on the basis of the frequency of contact (almost permanent, habitual, frequent or sporadic), and the type of disability (motor, hearing, visual, intellectual or multiple) of the person with whom the contact is maintained. The participants were 900 students of the Faculty of Education of the University of Granada who completed the Scale of Attitudes towards people with disabilities. The analysis carried out shows significant differences depending on the contact with people with disabilities in different factors of the scale. In addition, there are more favourable attitudes in students who maintain sporadic contact, and also those in those with contact with people with sensory disabilities.