You Had Me At Hello: How Introductory Type Affects Stigmatization

Background:

Research findings suggest the way in which an individual with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is introduced in various social situations impacts others’ judgment and behavior towards that individual (Campbell et al., 2004; Morton & Campbell, 2007; Iobst et al., 2009). To date, little research has been conducted pertaining to the amount of stigma individuals with ASD face as they transition into young adulthood, specifically within the college setting. 

Objectives:

The primary aim of the study was to examine the amount of stigma individuals with ASD face when entering young adulthood compared to two other highly stigmatized conditions, obesity and depression (Halter, 2004; Koroni, 2008; Roeloffs et al., 2003; Wang, 2004). A secondary aim was to examine the psychometric properties of a scale specifically designed to measure stigma in college settings.

Methods:

A 3x3 between-subjects design was conducted. The two independent variables (IV) were group (ASD, depression, obesity) and introductory type: descriptive (highlighting similarities between the participant and individual), explanatory (highlighting medical causation), and combined (Campbell et al., 2007; Iobst et al., 2009). Participants in the online study were 267 Auburn University undergraduates enrolled in Psychology courses. After reading one vignette (which included one level of each IV), participants completed several questionnaires, including the Modified Social Distance Scale (MSDS; see Link et al., 1987) as well as the revised scale (MSDS-College) written by the authors. The MSDS-College was designed to increase ecological and face validity for measuring stigmatization within a college setting. This scale contained 101 items and 6 subscales, including: Academic, Athletic/Intramural Sports, Campus Committee, Housing, Social, and Family subscales.

Results:

A total of 235 valid questionnaires were entered into the analyses. Mean scores across introductory conditions revealed significant differences between the three conditions (alpha<.05), with obesity resulting in lowest scores of stigmatization (m = 118.54, se = 4.04), followed by ASD (m =133.28, se = 4.14) and depression (m =151.86, se = 4.42). No significant difference was revealed for ASD or depression within introductory types. There was strong internal consistency within the MSDS-College with a total Cronbach’s alpha of .977 (ranging from .849 to .947). The MSDS and MSDS-College were highly correlated with a Pearson’s r of .808 (p<.01).

Conclusions:

The results indicate that introductory type does not affect reports of social distance in the introduction of an individual with an ASD. This study suggests that ASD is more highly stigmatized than obesity. Interestingly, college students reported lower stigma towards the individual in the ASD condition than depression condition. The implications of this finding will be discussed. In both the ASD and depression conditions, introductory type showed no effect. These findings have implications for researchers’ understanding of current societal stigma towards chronic health conditions versus mental illness. Similarly, these findings have implications for college campuses that are increasingly incorporating individuals with an ASD into classrooms and dormitory settings. In addition, the MSDS-College demonstrated high concurrent validity with the MSDS. Further analyses of the subscales included on the MSDS-College will be presented.