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Knowledge of and attitudes towards people with mental handicaps: AN INVESTIGATION OF RGN STUDENTS
Author(s) -
Barr Owen
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of the british institute of mental handicap (apex)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1468-3156
pISSN - 0261-9997
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3156.1990.tb00590.x
Subject(s) - normality , psychology , aggression , curriculum , independence (probability theory) , human sexuality , medical education , social psychology , developmental psychology , applied psychology , pedagogy , medicine , sociology , gender studies , statistics , mathematics
The respondents for this study were 57 second‐ and third‐year students in Registered General Nurse (RGN) training. Results showed that the students had inaccurate knowledge of people with mental handicaps, underestimating their abilities and problems. Although the attitudes expressed were mostly positive, students' attitudes towards several crucial issues were undecided, namely aggression, sexuality, normality, and independence. These results are only true for the students surveyed, and they cannot be generalised to all RGN students due to differences in curriculum content and students' contact with people who have mental handicaps. Nevertheless, it may be that lessons can be learned that will be for the benefit of people with mental handicaps and RGN students alike.