title: Attitudes toward people with disabilities: the perspective of attachment theory.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attachment theory was employed as the theoretical framework for the purpose of examining attitudes toward people with disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 404 Jewish Israeli students without disabilities completed the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons With Disabilities (MAS) and the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reading a scenario about an encounter with a person with a disability gave rise to more negative emotions than reading a similar scenario about an encounter with a person without a disability, regardless of participants' attachment orientations. However, attachment orientations moderated participants' positive cognitions and distancing behaviors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest a dynamic process of self-regulation when reacting to a written scenario about people with disabilities. This process consists of an initial spontaneous negative emotional response accompanied by compensatory positive cognitions and behavioral tendencies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel. noav18@inter.net.il
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vilchinsky
authors.forename: Liora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Findler
authors.forename: Shirli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003071:Cognition; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D011287:Prejudice; D055815:Young Adult