The Social Psychology of Disability ACADEMY OF REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY SERIES Series Editors Bruce Caplan, Editor-in-Chief Timothy Elliott Janet Farmer Robert Frank Barry Nierenberg George Prigatano Daniel Rohe Stephen Wegener Volumes in the Series Ethics Field Guide: Applications in Rehabilitation Psychology Thomas R. Kerkhoff and Stephanie L. Hanson The Social Psychology of Disability Dana S. Dunn The Social Psychology of Disability Dana S. Dunn 1 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. 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Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dunn, Dana S. The social psychology of disability / Dana S. Dunn. pages cm. — (Academy of Rehabilitation psychology series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–19–998569–2 1. People with disabilities. 2. Sociology of disability. 3. Disability studies. I. Title. HV1568.D86 2015 305.9′08—dc23 2014021507 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper For Beatrice A. Wright Compassionate researcher, teacher, and friend Contents Foreword ix Preface and Acknowledgments xiii 1. Overview: The Social Psychology of Disability 1 2. Fundamental Psychosocial Concepts for Understanding Disability 19 3. Challenges: Stigma, Stereotyping, and Disability 38 4. Attitudes Toward People with Disabilities 57 5. Coping with and Adjusting to Disability 76 6. Towards an Understanding of Disability Identity 93 7. A Positive Psychology of Disability and Rehabilitation 107 8. The Ecology of Disability 125 Notes 141 References 143 Index 177 vii Foreword Have you ever read a book that literally changed your life? A book that pro- vided so many insights into the most complicated aspects of human behavior that you literally could not put it down? That book for me wasPhysical Disability, A Psychological Approach by Beatrice Wright; for you it may be its “sequel” The Social Psychology of Disability by Dana Dunn. What is the story? It was the early 1970s and I had just completed my undergradu- ate degree in psychology at the Ohio State University. I knew I wanted to pursue a doctorate in psychology but did not know much beyond this. I had the good for- tune to be hired as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the State of Ohio. My career began with interviewing clients, developing insight into how they saw their situation, and then realizing the many contradictions they faced. For example, they defined themselves by what they could do; however, they found that others in their environment seemed to define them by what they could not do. I was bewildered by the mixed social messages they were constantly bombarded with, messages that ranged from pity to being idolized. How could I help them navigate this confusing social environment, when I did not have a clue about what was happening? I found the complexity of this social interactional landscape incredibly intriguing from an intellectual and a professional standpoint. I was hungry for knowledge but found nothing in the general psychological literature that was relevant. Then I discovered “the” classic book on the psychology of disability. This book sealed my fate. I then knew I wanted to become a rehabilitation psychologist. Parenthetically, I was not ix x Foreword alone in an “aha” moment engendered by reading Dr. Wright’s book. Years ago, I was in a reflective conversation with Mitchell Rosenthal, Ph.D., a close friend and leader in the field of brain injury rehabilitation. I asked what sparked his interest in rehabilitation psychology. His reply was simple: “Beatrice Wright’s book.” Similarly, in the preface to this book, Dr. Dunn reflects on the profound effect Dr. Wright’s book has had on how he thinks about behavior. So, what is so compelling about this text? The answer is the author, quality writ- ing, and the content. Dr. Dana Dunn is a respected and recognized educator and writer. He completed his Ph.D. in social psychology at the University of Virginia in 1987. He is a fellow of three divisions of the American Psychological Association including General Psychology, Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and Rehabilitation Psychology. Recently, he was awarded the Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching, American Psychological Foundation in 2013. He has authored 25 books, 51 referred papers, and 52 book chapters. He has been an editor or on the editorial board of 6 journals and a reviewer for 12 journals. He received the Outstanding Academic Book by the American Library Association in 2005 for his book Measuring Up: Educational Assessment Challenges and Practices for Psychology. In short, he knows how to write clearly and succinctly. What about the content? The book is written in a manner that pulls the reader in. Each chapter has a similar structure. Dr. Dunn begins with thought-provoking quotes and compelling examples. He then poses questions to the reader and pro- ceeds to answer the questions in the body of the chapter using clear and concise prose. For example, he asks, “What does it mean to adapt to a disability? Do indi- viduals who have congenital disabilities need to adapt to their conditions? Or, is adaptation limited to those who somehow acquire a disability? Does psychosocial adjustment differ from adaptation? What does it mean to accept a disability?” He then goes on to cite the historic and contemporary research that addresses these questions. Each chapter ends with questions that prompt the reader to revisit the key ideas presented, thus helping to solidify learning. Dr. Dunn’s skills in sound pedagogy are consistently apparent. The content ofThe Social Psychology of Disability is comprehensive. Topics include coping with disability, positive psychology and disability, stigma and stereotyping, spread effects, attitudes towards persons with a disability, the fundamental nega- tive bias, somatopsychology, and disability identity to name a few. Throughout, Dr. Dunn highlights the seminal contributions of the founders of the field of rehabilita- tion psychology especially the work of Kurt Lewin, Beatrice Wright, and Tamara Dembo. He emphasizes Lewin’s formulation of field theory and the critical point that behavior does not reside in the person but is the joint outcome of the interac- tion of person’s characteristics in the context of the environment. Foreword xi As a rehabilitation psychologist, I was particularly heartened that Dr. Dunn specifically writes about the 20 “value-laden beliefs and principles.” He discusses the first five principles in Chapter 1 and an additional seven principles in Chapter 6. These principles, which were first articulated by Beatrice Wright in 1972, are not widely known or understood by most rehabilitation psychologists. Yet, they rep- resent the central principles from which the field of rehabilitation psychology can rightly claim its unique identity as a specialty within the larger discipline of psychol- ogy. Highlighting these principles is just one more example of why this book will become standard reading in the field of rehabilitation psychology in the coming years. In closing, I wish to publicly thank Dr. Dunn for writing this book. Rehabilitation psychology was desperately in need of a reboot and summary of our field. Dr. Wright’s second edition of her book was published in 1983. Much has happened in the fields of rehabilitation psychology and social psychology over the past 30 years. Dr. Dunn does an outstanding job melding the contemporary insights of both fields in a book that will inspire the next generation of rehabilitation psychologists. I am hopeful that you will be enlightened and challenged by the issues raised in the book and their relevance to a world in which disability and chronic illness are increas- ingly prevalent. You are about to read what will become the new, classic text on the psychological aspects of disability. I am hopeful that you too will have an “aha” experience after reading this seminal contribution to the rehabilitation psychology literature. Daniel E. Rohe, Ph.D., ABPP (Rp) Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota Past President, Division of Rehabilitation Psychology American Psychological Association Past President, American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology Preface and Acknowledgments Several years ago, Beatrice Wright and I were discussing a project that was to involve her classic book, Physical Disability: A Psychosocial Approach (Wright, 1983). More than any other text I’ve read as a psychologist, this book has had a profound influence on how I think about behavior, including, of course, the social psychology of disability. At one point in our conversation, Beatrice, who is known to have strong and decided opinions, said simply, “Dana, you should write your own book.” That particular project did not advance, but I never forgot her com- ment, which, if you know Beatrice, represented both an encouragement and a gentle demand.