Attachment orientations and humanity attributions to individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

In this contribution, we explored whether secure attachment - operationalized as an individual difference variable - is positively associated with humanizing perceptions of individuals with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities). A cross-sectional study was performed. University students filled out a questionnaire including: a self-report scale of attachment orientations (secure, avoidant, and anxious); items assessing emotions toward individuals with IDD (anxiety, empathy, and trust); items measuring the attribution of uniquely human (e.g., reasoning, self-control) and non-uniquely human (e.g., instinct, impulsiveness) characteristics. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and the PROCESS macro to test mediation. Replicating previous research, findings highlighted that a lower human status was generally ascribed to people with disabilities. However, secure attachment was associated with both lower feelings of anxiety and higher attributions of uniquely human traits. No mediation effects of emotions were observed. Practical implications of findings were discussed. Interventions based on security priming should lead people to endorse humanizing evaluations of individuals with IDD, and to help them.