19001
Understanding and Reducing Endorsement of Stereotypes of Autism: An Intervention Using Counterstereotypic Exemplars
There is currently a paucity of knowledge around societal issues relevant to autism. In particular,
stakeholder groups are extremely dissatisfied with the lack of research on improving societal
attitudes towards individuals with autism (Pellicano et al., 2014). Examination of media
representations suggests that a negative and inaccurate characterisation of autism is perpetuated
(Jones & Harwood, 2009; Huws & Jones, 2011) and this is likely to influence societal stereotypes of
individuals with autism. However, before research can evaluate potential interventions for changing
public perceptions of autism, a greater understanding of the nature and contents of societal
stereotypes of autism is needed.
Objectives:
This research aimed to evaluate (Study 1) and subsequently reduce (Study 2) endorsement of
negative stereotypic traits associated with individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) via
exposure to video clips of individuals who display characteristics that counter negative aspects of the
autism stereotype (i.e., who are counterstereotypic) autism stereotype.
Methods:
Study 1: 298 volunteers completed an online survey; 164 did not have a family member or close
friend with ASC, did not have ASC themselves and had lived in the UK for five years or more.
Responses of these 164 individuals were analysed.
Study 2: Sixty-six undergraduate and post-graduate students were randomly allocated to either the
experimental group or the control group. Participants in the experimental group watched video
clips of five individuals who were counterstereotypic on 4-key traits identified in Study 1 – poor
social skills, introverted and withdrawn, poor communication, difficult personality or behaviour.
Participants in the control group watched video clips of wildlife programmes. Participants then rated
their endorsement of the 10 most frequently reported traits associated with ASC identified in Study
1. Demand characteristics were avoided by presenting this phase as an ostensibly separate study,
which was validated via a funnel de-brief.
Results:
Study 1: found that the societal stereotype of ASC was predominantly negative. The 10 most
frequently reported traits, in order, were poor social skills; being introverted and withdrawn; poor
communication; difficult personality or behaviour; poor emotional intelligence; special abilities; high
intelligence; awkward; obsessive; low intelligence.
Study 2: found that exposure to counterstereotypic exemplars successfully reduced endorsement
of the frequently reported negative stereotypic traits tackled by the intervention compared to
participants in the control condition, though stereotype endorsement was not reduced for all
stereotypic traits assessed.
Conclusions:
This study reports the content of the societal stereotype of individuals with ASC in the UK.
General knowledge of the characteristics of ASD was poor; the only characteristic that could be
identified by over half of respondents was poor social skills. We demonstrated that it is possible to
tackle endorsement of negative stereotypic traits via exposure to individuals with ASC displaying
counterstereotypic behaviour. In future it will be important to tackle endorsement of the entire
range of stereotypic characteristics of ASC in order to reduce prejudice and improve attitudes
towards group members. This will likely improve the life chances of those with ASC.
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