Psychology Commons^™

How Autism Representation In The Media Influences People's Attitudes: A Literature Review, Eleanor Klein

A with Honors Projects

A literature review of research revealed how media influences attitudes about autistic* people. Several factors lead to negative attitudes: Not emphasizing positive characteristics, emphasizing differences, and portraying autistic people as burdens. Contrasting factors lead to positive attitudes, including: Emphasizing positive characteristics and commonalities, portraying intergroup friendships, giving accurate information about autism, and depicting differences positively. Examples of media are described that are likely to promote negative or positive attitudes towards autistic people. Further research must improve measures of attitudes, determine what autistic people believe is accurate representation, and explore the impact of attitude change based on type of media consumed.