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Volume :44 Issue : 2 2016
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Students' Familiarity with and Attitudes toward People with Intellectual Disabilities in Kuwait: Educational Level and Gender Invariance
Auther : Hayfaa Y. Al-Kandari
A survey of 725 male and female high school and college students was conducted to investigate the effects of gender and educational levels on the relationship between students' familiarity with and attitudes toward the inclusion of people with intellectual disability (ID) in Kuwaiti society. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the invariance of the relationship between familiarity and attitudes for male and female high school and college students. The study used a version of the Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory-Revised, which Al-Kandari and Salih (2008) adapted for Kuwaiti culture. The study showed a medium positive effect between familiarity with a person with ID and attitudes among female college students, and small to medium negative effect between familiarity and attitudes among high school students of both genders. However, no effect at all was found between familiarity and attitudes among male college students. Familiarity with a person with ID is not always beneficial and must be managed with care. A custom-made approach in prejudice reduction interventions is necessary.
Key words: Familiarity, Attitudes, Intellectual disability, Gender, Education, Kuwait, Inclusion.