Social Class and Reaction to Physical Disability

In this study the relationship between social class membership and reaction to physical disability was examined. It was hypothesized that this reaction would be conditioned by the relative emphasis attached to physique, and that this emphasis varied inversely with social class level, that is, the lower class would be expected to react more severely to physical impairment than would the middle class. Information was obtained on the families' definition of the problem, their intellectual optimism or pessimism, their actual behavior under these circumstances, and the relative emphasis which they attached to physique. The results showed that the majority of parents and children were well informed and generally quite optimistic about the problem. On the behavioral level, however, some families were able to cope more effectively than others; larger families managing a more balanced adjustment than smaller families. Lastly, most parents attached little significance to physique, and this seemed to facilitate their optimism in the face of disability. Over-all, there was no significant class bias in any of the above positions

Class (philosophy · Developmental psychology · Middle class · Optimism · Pessimism · Social class · Educational Environments and Student Outcomes · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport · Psychology · Social Psychology

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