Preschool children's comprehension of the world "handicapped"

A group of 4- and 5-yr.-old children were asked the meaning of the word "handicapped," while another group were asked the meaning of a nonsense word. Five of 15 children claimed to know the meaning of "handicapped" but none could supply a factual definition. Two of 15 children in the comparison group claimed to know the meaning of the nonsense word. Despite their lack of knowledge, children in both groups continued to answer questions regarding their attitudes toward the word. The results cast doubt on the effective use of verbal measures of attitudes toward persons with disabilities when the subjects are preschool children.