Beliefs about the mentally ill : unpredictable and dangerous? : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

The effect of predictability and dangerousness on observers' attitudes toward the mentally ill was assessed using a social distance and a dangerousness measure. Results of the social distance measure showed that male respondents were more rejecting of the stimulus person than female respondents when predictability was high. Also, the female stimulus person with low predictability was more rejected than the female stimulus person with medium predictability. Results of the dangerousness measure did not reveal any significant findings.