title: Predictors of disability-related attitudes: considering self-esteem, communication apprehension, contact, and geographic location.
abstract: Individuals' attitudes about persons with disability (PwD) strongly affect differently-abled persons' quality of life and position in society. Some research offers support for the ability of systematic, supported, longitudinal contact between different groups of individuals to improve attitudes. College campuses, in particular, offer a potentially useful arena in which to facilitate this type of contact. This study explored contextual factors (eg, geographic region, biological sex) and predictors of disability-related attitudes among a college student population to determine strategies for course-based intervention design (eg, as community-engaged or service-learning initiatives). Surveying participants from universities in two regions of the United States, we found that self-esteem, audience-based communication apprehension, and contact with PwD explain more than 50% of the variance in disability-related attitudes. Further, we found that geographic location affects both self-esteem and audience-based communication apprehension (communicating/interacting with PwD). We discuss the implications for community engagement and/or service learning and highlight the importance of partnerships among relevant community stakeholders, including university faculty, students, and staff.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Magsamen-Conrad
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR.
authors.forename: Dinah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tetteh
authors.affiliation: Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Yen-I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: PwD; college students; community engagement; community partnerships; intergroup; intervention; quality of life; regional culture; service learning