Classical and Modern Prejudice toward Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: The Role of Experienced Contact, Beliefs in a Just World and Social Dominance Orientation

Rocco Servidio; Ivan Giuseppe Cammarata; Costanza Scaffidi Abbate; Stefano Boca

doi:10.3390/ijerph21030355

Classical and Modern Prejudice toward Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: The Role of Experienced Contact, Beliefs in a Just World and Social Dominance Orientation

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Mar 16;21(3):355. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21030355.

Authors

Rocco Servidio¹, Ivan Giuseppe Cammarata², Costanza Scaffidi Abbate², Stefano Boca²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Culture, Education and Society, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
² Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of experienced contact on prejudiced attitudes towards individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs), examining beliefs in a just world (BJW) and social dominance orientation (SDO) as potential serial mediators. Data were collected from 224 university students (M = 23.02, SD = 2.48). Path analysis modelling assessed the structural relationships between the study variables. The findings revealed that experienced contact was negatively and significantly associated with BJW and SDO. Additionally, BJW and SDO fully mediated the relationship between experienced contact and overt prejudice. These findings underscore the influence of individual differences on attitudes towards individuals with ID, establishing a crucial foundation for future research and the development of interventions aimed at reducing prejudice and discrimination.

Keywords: beliefs in a just world; classical prejudice; intellectual disabilities; modern prejudice; social dominance orientation.

MeSH terms

Attitude
Humans
Intellectual Disability*
Prejudice
Social Dominance

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.