Professional paper

Attitudes of Young People Towards the Physically Disabled

Zdravka Leutar
Ana Štambuk

Abstract

This study deals with the attitudes of young people towards physically
disabled persons on the pattern of 166 examinees: 80 senior students (age 22-23) and 86 pupils of 8th (final) grade of elementary school (age 13-14). Their attitudes were analysed according to cognitive and emotional components. Under cognitive components segregation of physically handicapped persons and tragic observance of physically disabled persons were included. Emotional component included uneasiness during interaction. The research results showed that examinee’s age plays a very important role in formation of attitude towards handicapped persons, which means that younger persons have less experience and are less informed about disabled persons, their attitudes are less positive than of those held by the senior examinees who are to finish university. Analysing cognitive components, the differences according to sex have also been found. It can be generally said that elementary school pupils have neither positive nor negative attitude, but they are moving towards the more positive one; while students have mostly positive attitude towards physically handicapped. We should constantly work on informing people and better integration of disabled persons into society.

Keywords

ATTITUDES; YOUNG PEOPLE; PHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSONS; COGNITIVE COMPONENT OF ATTITUDES; EMOTIONAL COMPONENT; INTEGRATION

Hrčak ID:

13268

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/13268

Publication date:

30.6.2006.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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