The Effects of Contact Experience to Developmental Disabilities on College Students’ Attitude toward Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

This study examined the impact of direct and indirect contact experiences with developmental disabilities on college students’ attitudes toward such conditions. A total of 185 students participated in this study, responding to a questionnaire and paper-format implicit association test. Multiple regression analyses revealed that direct contact with conditions such as social and institutional support, acquaintance potential, equal status, and cooperation, as suggested by the contact hypothesis, positively affected attitudes toward developmental disabilities. Conversely, direct contact without meeting those conditions negatively impacted these attitudes. Furthermore, the study revealed that certain indirect contact experiences positively influenced attitudes toward developmental disabilities.