University Students’ Notion of Autism Spectrum Conditions: A Cross-Cultural Study

de Vries, Marieke; Cader, Sabrina; Colleer, Lucy; Batteux, Eleonore; Yasdiman, Meryem Betu; Tan, Yih Jiuny; Sheppard, Elizabeth

Abstract

Cultural background might influence knowledge and attitudes regarding autism, influencing willingness to interact. We studied whether beliefs, knowledge, contact, and attitude differed between the UK and Malaysia. With mediation analyses, we studied how these factors influenced willingness to interact. Autism was more often linked to food in the UK, and to upbringing in Malaysia. Knowledge, contact, and acceptance were greater in the UK. When excluding psychology students, Malaysian students were less willing to interact with autistic people. Knowledge and contact appeared to improve acceptance, but acceptance did not mediate the relation between country, beliefs, knowledge, and experience; and willingness to interact. Knowledge and contact regarding autism might improve acceptance in different cultures, but how acceptance could improve interaction is unclear.

Citation

de Vries, M., Cader, S., Colleer, L., Batteux, E., Yasdiman, M. B., Tan, Y. J., & Sheppard, E. (2020). University Students’ Notion of Autism Spectrum Conditions: A Cross-Cultural Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50, 1281-1294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04343-z

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 11, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 3, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Deposit Date: Dec 19, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 4, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• Print ISSN: 0162-3257
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-3432
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Pages: 1281-1294
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04343-z
• Keywords: Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3602588
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-019-04343-z