The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of university students toward the mentally retarded and thus the study aimed to provide basic materials of a program development for prejudice reduction, right perception or right attitude toward ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of university students toward the mentally retarded and thus the study aimed to provide basic materials of a program development for prejudice reduction, right perception or right attitude toward the mentally retarded.
To accomplish this purpose, this study was based on a literature research and a survey research. The survey research objects were extracted from among students who were at five universities in Daegu, and there were comparing and examining for those who had volunteer experience for the mentally retarded and those who had volunteer experience except the mentally retarded and those who didn't experienced volunteer activity after university entrance.
The period of data collection was from March 22th to March 30th, 2005. 284 questionnaires were collected from 310 distributed questionnaires and 284 questionnaires were used for analysis. The collected data were analyzed through frequency, percentage, t-test, One-way ANOVA using by the SPSS 10.0 program.
The results of this study were as follows.
First, the attitudes toward the mentally retarded were investigated according to the general characteristic of the study subject. In the case of men, the attitudes toward the mentally retarded were positive as they experienced military service. the group which had volunteer experience except the mentally retarded, generally as their grade rise, showed more positive attitudes toward the mentally retarded. The group with volunteer experience for the mentally retarded and the group which didn't have volunteer experience after university entrance, showed a more positive attitude when they have religion. But regarding major and month income, the attitudes toward the mentally retarded showed differences in the respective groups.
Second, the attitudes toward the mentally retarded according to the contacts with the disabled showed a more positive that the disabled is around, when one had disabled parents, brothers, relatives, and mental disabilities. Also those who maintain a relationship with the mentally retarded or those who voluntarily have contact through volunteering activities, showed a more positive attitude. Those who had integrated education experience with the disabled showed more positive attitude than those who had not integrated education experience. Regarding attitudes according to disability experiencing extent there were differences in the respective group.
Third, regarding the attitudes toward the mentally retarded according to the information, education of the disabled or voluntary service, those who had experienced an understanding education related to the mentally retarded showed a more positive attitude. And students of 74% in the group with volunteer experience for mentally retarded persons answered that they acquire the information about the mentally retarded through volunteer activity or related organization. But many students in the group which had volunteer experience except the mentally retarded and group which didn't have volunteer experience after university entrance answered that they acquire the information through mass media. In whole group those who had heard lecture in volunteerism after university entrance showed more positive attitude than those who had not heard lecture in volunteerism.
Forth, in the case of the attitudes toward the mentally retarded relating to voluntary services, those who had volunteer experience when they were a elementary, middle, high school, these students were more positive. After university entrance, the attitudes towards the mentally retarded those who had volunteer experience for the mentally retarded were most positive. Next were those who had volunteer experience except the mentally retarded, last were those who didn't have volunteer experience after their university entrance.
Fifth, people in the group who had volunteer experience for the mentally retarded and the people in the group who had volunteer experience except the mentally retarded answered that the way to recover negative attitudes toward the mentally retarded is to make various events to meet them. But on the contrary, many students in another group who didn't have any volunteer experience after university entrance answered that the way to recover negative attitudes toward the mentally retarded is an affirmative enlightenment movement through the mass media.
To develope perceptions or attitudes toward the mentally retarded of the university students, I suggest several ideas based on these results.
First, to develope perceptions or attitudes toward the mentally retarded we should make many chances to meet the mentally retarded. For example, as a contact method, an integrated education that is preponderated on elementary school have to the expended to the kindergarten, middle and high school system.
Second, correct information should be provided about the mentally retarded. Specially the workers in the mass media have to make programs with unbiased information about the mentally retarded. Also related organizations and institutions need to do more enlightenment through the mass media about the mentally retarded.
Third, to induce an attitude change according to volunteer activity for the mentally retarded professional approaches should be tried and planned relating to volunteer activity organization, operation, and development of voluntary service program so that the volunteer could voluntarily and continuously participate in voluntary activity.
Forth, we should provide university students more opportunities to meet the mentally retarded.
Finally, we should have continuous concern with the mentally retarded, so that they could participate in more social activities in their communities. But most of all in the aspects of social integration we have to set a mood to cherish the dignity of a human being so that the mentally retarded are not to be pitied but seen as precious beings living together with us.