Demographic, Experiential, and Temporal Variation in Ableism

Abstract

AbstractData from Project Implicit were analyzed to explore trends in ableism. Over 300,000 U.S. residents with and without disabilities completed the Disability Implicit Association Test and two measures of explicit prejudice. The most consistent predictors of bias across types of prejudice were gender and contact with individuals with disabilities: Women and those who had contact were less prejudiced. Temporal analyses indicated that mean implicit prejudice increased over time (2004–2017), yet explicit bias showed a decline over the same period. Among people with disabilities, implicit and explicit prejudice were related to lower contact with others who shared one's disability, as well as to perceptions that one's disorder affects few activities and/or is primarily mental or emotional. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.