Abstract:

The aim of the research was the Polish adaptation of the Israeli Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS) by L. Findler, N. Vilchinsky, S. Werner [1]. The test is based on a multidimentional approach and consists of three components: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral one. The process of adapting the questionnaire proceeded in accordance with the guidelines for the method of translation and validation of questionnaires described by K. Jaracz [2]. The research procedure analogous to those used by the authors of the original version was made. The participants were sampled via the “snowball” technique: the questionnaires MAS along with questionnaires SWE [3] were given to a group of students who asked classmates, friends, family members to complete them. The research covered 440 Poles from the age of 18.

Similarly to the original version Polish version of MAS had three factor structures of affects, cognitions and behaviors, but factor loadings for disgust and alertness were too low and last two items that were supposed to measure behaviours loaded the factor of cognitions. These four items were excluded from further analysis. The values of Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients were all very high when the four items mentioned above were excluded. Correlations between the three factors computed with the use of Pearson correlation coefficient were all statistically significant and positive.
The psychometric analysis showed that modified version of the MAS (MAS-P) can be used to test Poles attitudes. Results also prove that the multidimensional approach to attitudes is justified and must be considered for future research.

References:
[1] L. Findler, N. Vilchinsky, S. Werner, “Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Toward Persons with Disabilities (MAS): Construction and validation,” Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 50:3, pp. 166–176, 2007.
[2] K. Jaracz, “Adaptacja kulturowa narzędzi badawczych do oceny jakości życia” in Jakość życia w naukach medycznych (L. Wołowicka ed.), pp. 281-290, Poznań: UM Poznań, 2002.
[3] M. Kaźmierczak, M. Plopa, S. Retowski, “Skala Wrażliwości Empatycznej,” Przegląd Psychologiczny, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 9-24, 2007.

Keywords:

Scale, attitudes, disability, multidimensional approach, factor analysis, reliability.