Stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities held by university education students

摘要

Stereotypes result from interpersonal and intergroup relations and have specific repercussions on behaviour. This study investigated the stereotypes held by university students in the Faculty of Education, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, towards people with intellectual disabilities and analysed possible attitudinal differences based on previous contact with people with intellectual disabilities or who had family members with intellectual disabilities. Results obtained through participants' responses to a list of adjectives showed a clear positive stereotype formed by adjectives such as determined, sincere, affectionate, and capable but no significant differences were found between the groups. The study results were analysed in detail and compared with previous studies, from which future lines of research have been suggested, including longitudinal research, larger samples, and addressing additional variables. Examining the attitudes of people with intellectual disabilities towards others with intellectual disabilities is also important.