Understanding self-report Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward People with Disabilities: An exploratory analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Disability Studies
• Cross-cultural Psychology

Background:

• Attitudes toward people with disabilities (PWD) are crucial for social inclusion.
• Existing attitude scales may require cultural adaptation for diverse populations.
• The Multidimensional Attitudes Scale (MAS) is a key instrument for measuring these attitudes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a South Korean version of the MAS (MAS-K).
• To explore the factor structure of the MAS-K.
• To assess the influence of social desirability on MAS-K responses.

Main Methods:

• Principal axis factoring with promax rotation was employed.
• Data were collected from 189 South Korean college students.
• Participants completed the MAS-K and a social desirability scale.

Main Results:

• A 27-item, 4-factor structure of the MAS-K was identified.
• The factors were negative affect, ease-unease, positive cognition, and avoidant behavior.
• Social desirability showed moderate negative correlations with all four MAS-K factors.

Conclusions:

• The MAS-K provides a culturally relevant tool for assessing attitudes toward PWD in South Korea.
• Findings underscore the importance of considering social desirability in disability attitude research.
• This research supports the development of culturally specific instruments to promote disability inclusion globally.