Stigma of People with Developmental Disabilities

Indianapolis, IN

Stigma is defined as a mark of social disgrace or disapproval (Goffman, 1964). Previous research has studied the contact hypothesis and found that having personal contact with stigmatized groups is an effective method for reducing levels of stigma (Allport, 1974). Contact hypothesis states the greater the amount of contact one has with a certain experience or person, the more comfortable that person will be. The purpose of the current study is to examine stigma and the contact hypothesis as it relates to those with a certain disability. While previous studies have examined children, in the current study focus was directed toward the experiences and attitudes of college-aged adults. The Level of Contact Report (Holmes, Corrigan, Williams, Canar, & Kubiak, 1999), was used to assess prior level of contact with persons with a set of selected disabilities. An Attribution Vignette (Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan, & Kubiak, 2003), was used to assess level of stigma. A total of 150 students were recruited from a small liberal arts university. Data will be analyzed and results will be discussed.