Factors influencing occupational therapy students' attitudes toward persons with disabilities: a conjoint analysis.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing occupational therapy students' context-specific attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

METHOD: Attitudes of 128 occupational therapy students toward placement of a residential treatment facility in their community were measured by a conjoint measurement of 16 stimulus cards (representing persons with varying disability types, gender, age, employment history, and history of aggression) and their responses were analyzed using conjoint analysis.

FINDINGS: Disability type and threat of violence were significantly higher on important scores compared with the other attributes across all students. Additionally, Year-Three students had significantly higher importance scores for the employment attribute than Year-One students.

CONCLUSION

Conjoint analysis can be used effectively, as an indirect measure, to study factors contributing to the formation of attitudes-preferences for persons with disabilities in specific social contexts.