Implicit and explicit attitudes toward people with Down syndrome: A study in schools with and without integration programmes in Chile

Abstract

Integrated education can reduce intergroup prejudice because enhance people contact. In this area, most researches have measured explicit attitudes using self-report questionnaires, but few studies have measure implicit attitudes for this objective. This article aims to evaluate both types of attitudes towards People with Down syndrome (PWDS). Eighty Chileans pupils (11-15 years) belonging from schools with and without integration programs participated in this study. Implicit attitudes were measured with Implicit Association Test (IAT). Results showed that all students, regardless from the school system, showed implicit bias towards PWDS. In explicit attitudes, although both samples exhibited low levels of prejudice, pupils from integrated schools expressed less anxiety towards PWDS. Finally, quality of contact, quantity of contact and salience were associated with less anxiety and more positive stereotypes towards PWDS.