Understanding, attitudes and dehumanisation towards autistic people

Citation

Cage E, Di Monaco J & Newell V (2019) Understanding, attitudes and dehumanisation towards autistic people. Autism, 23 (6), pp. 1373-1383. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318811290

Abstract
Research suggests that while individuals may self-report positive attitudes towards autism, dehumanising attitudes (seeing another as less than human) may still prevail. This study investigated knowledge, openness and dehumanising attitudes of non-autistic people towards autistic people. A total of 361 participants completed a survey measuring autism openness, knowledge and experience, along with a measure of dehumanisation. Results showed that knowledge of autism was comparable to past research and females were more open towards autism. Findings also indicated evidence for dehumanisation, with a particular denial of ‘human uniqueness’ traits. Furthermore, dehumanisation was related to openness towards autism. These findings have implications for targeting attitudes to reduce stigma associated with autism.

Keywords
attitudes; autism spectrum conditions; autism understanding; dehumanisation

Journal
Autism: Volume 23, Issue 6