Perceptions of a Person with Mental Retardation as a Function of Participation in Integrated versus Segregated Recreation/sport Activities: an Experimental Analysis

This study is a conceptual replication of previous work by Storey, Stern, & Parker (1990) that examined the influence of participation in integrated vs. segregated recreation/sports activities on evaluations of a person with mental retardation by persons without a disability. The Storey et al., (1990) study observed that people with mental retardation were viewed less favorably when participating in segregated activities and the current research used an alternate methodological approach to revisit this issue. Eighty participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Participants in the first group were exposed to a slide show depicting a young woman engaging in various segregated recreation/sport activities. Participants in the second group saw the same person engaging in integrated recreation/sport activities. The Attitudes Toward Individuals with Severe Handicaps survey served as the outcome measure. Participants evaluated the stimulus person more favorably when she was engaged in integrated as compared to segregated activities; however, the magnitude of these differences was negligible. Future directions for research are discussed.