A cross-cultural comparison of attitudes toward persons with disabilities: college students in Japan and the United States

Abstract

Three factors were compared with regard to attitudes toward people with disabilities: (1) culture, (2) amount of contact, and (3) type of relationship. Participants included 111 college students majoring in Social Work or Psychology in the U.S. and 118 college students majoring in Social Policy and Administration in Japan. The Attitudes Towards Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) (Yuker & Block, 1986) was used to measure attitudes. No significant relationships were found between attitudes toward people with disabilities and culture, nor the amount of contact. A significant relationship was found between the type of relationship and attitudes toward people with disabilities among students in the U.S., particularly among those who had a positive relationship with close friends. The implications for future training are discussed.