Adversity versus fate, genetics, and the environment: Causal beliefs and attitudes toward intellectual disability

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the role of demographic and personal factors concerning the attitudes toward intellectual disability. Our sample consisted of 482 Romanians aged 18 to 74. We measured the overall attitudes toward intellectual disability, as well as some specific dimensions, i.e., integration or segregation, social distance, private rights, and subtle derogatory changes. Our results suggested that the most significant predictor of the overall positive attitude toward intellectual disability, as well as for the subtle derogatory beliefs and integration/segregation dimensions, was the perceived environmental causal belief about intellectual disability. Next, the biomedical causal was the most significant predictor for the social distance dimension. Finally, the perceived fate-related causal belief was the most significant predictor for the private rights dimension. We discuss our findings concerning their role in designing targeted public awareness programs.