comparative study of the impact of two treatments on attitudes toward persons with disabilities

Two types of sensitivity training designed to improve attitudes toward persons with disabilities were administered and their effects compared. Sensitivity training using discussion and role playing alone was compared with sensitivity training using discussion, role playing, and simulation. A quasi experimental pretest posttest nonequivalent control group design was used to evaluate the effects of treatment. Subjects were 72 6th and 7th grade students. They responded to the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale Form O prior to treatment as a measure of attitudes toward persons with disabilities. All of the experimental group subjects participated in the first session using discussion and role playing (DRP). The first posttest (Form A) was administered one week after treatment. During week two, half the students from DRP were randomly assigned to become the second experimental group which participated in a disability simulation in addition to the discussion and role playing (DRP + SIM). During week three, both experimental groups (DRP and DRP + SIM) were administered the second posttest (Form B). The control group (CTL) received no treatment, but was pre- and posttested similarly. In each of six two-way ANCOVAs, treatment plus one of the demographic variables (gender, grade level in school, minority status, degree of prior contact with persons having disabilities, nature of relationship with person who is disabled, and amount of knowledge on disabilities) were between-subjects factors, time was a within-subjects factor, pretest score was the covariate, and posttest scores were the outcome measure. Since the Bonferroni procedure was used to maintain the overall Type 1 error rate at.05, p values less than.0083 were considered statistically significant. Findings included a main effect for treatment in five of six tests, with the exception of amount of knowledge. DRP + SIM had significantly higher posttest scores than DRP or CTL. None of the main effects for demographic variables or interactions between treatment and demographic variables were found to be statistically significant. A post hoc Scheffe test indicated significantly higher mean scores for subjects receiving the disability simulation than for any other group. A disordinal treatment by time interaction was found for all six ANCOVAs. All statistically significant results were also practically significant (eta^2= .11-.50). Suggestions for further research, including a person with disabilities as co-facilitator in disability awareness programs, instituting periodic reinforcement, and conducting follow-up studies of attitude change over time.