THE STRUCTURE OF ATTITUDES TOWARD PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY, WHEN SPECIFIC DISABILITY AND CONTEXT ARE CONSIDERED

The structure of the Disability Social Relationship (DSR) scale was examined using university students in five health care areas: occupational therapy, physical therapy, medicine, nursing, and clinical psychology. Evidence was found supporting the multidimensionality of attitudes toward persons who have a physical disability, and the interactive influence of specific target disability and social situation on these attitudes. Attitudinal components, as measured by the DSR, reflected the importance of perceived limitations of particular disabilities, apprehensions concerning social stigmatization, situational constraints, and respondents' perceptions of functional limitations as interfering with relationships. Issues with regard to the measurement of attitudes toward persons with a disability are discussed.