Psychology and gender

What is abelism?

Ableism refers to the belief that non-disabled people are more desirable partners, while disabled people are viewed as less attractive and less desirable.

What are four key findings from the study?

1. Nondisabled discomfort

• Surprised by the wheelchair: Treating disability as information that should be disclosed in advance.

• Anxiety and uncertainty about how to behave and what to say: A sign of being a good person, but it suggests that interacting with a disabled person requires extra care.

2. Disability as something to explain

• Nondisabled wanting to know the cause: Disability is constructed as something that needs to be explained.

• Disabled was in a car crash: The individual was previously “normal” but had something taken away from them.

3. Good disabled person

• Disabled was positive, humorous, and reassuring: Disabled people are only accepted if they compensate for their disability.

4. Disability as a barrier to overcome

• Successful dates and strong emotional connections: Must have a romantic connection to overcome the obstacle of disability.

What is the social model?

This model says that disability is caused by social barriers, rather than by a person’s impairment. Social barriers may include negative attitudes from nondisabled people and inaccessible environments (e.g. no lifts and only stairs for wheelchair users).

What does able-bodied mean?

A person who does not have a disability.

What did the study do?

The participants (young adults) were given a scenario where one person arrives at a date and discovers the other is in a wheelchair. They were asked to complete the story.

What is the social constructionist approach?

The approach says that our ideas about sexuality and disability don’t just appear naturally; they can change over time and are shaped by society, culture, and language.

What is the medical model?

The medical model of disability locates disability within the individual and frames it as a personal problem and requires treatment or cure.

What is a strength of using the story completion method?

The story completion method allows participants to express their beliefs indirectly. By asking participants to write about fictional characters, this method reduces the pressure of social desirability. This helps to reveal underlying implicit attitudes that might not be expressed in direct questioning.

What is the main argument of the study?

Dating and disability are shaped by ableism, where disability is constructed as an obstacle, even in seemingly positive responses.

What do critical disability studies look at?

Critical disability studies examines disability not just as a medical condition, but as a social, cultural, political, and economic experience shaped by power and inequality.