Abstract

In this study, an attempt is made to examine one's subjective social distance toward members of diverse stigmatized social groups. The social distance scale consisted of interpersonal physical distance and interpersonal social distance. 352 male and female students were selected from four universities. The results indicated that drug addicts, prostitutes, ex-convicts, mentally ill and retarded persons, people included in this study as stigmatized individuals were least acceptable. To test the differences of social distance among stigmatized groups based on stigmatizing conditions, analysis of variance was used. The result showed that stigmatized individuals with invisible and controllable stigma were least acceptable. The relationship between subjects` locus of control, the degree of psychosocial development and social distance toward stigmatized groups was investigated in this study. As a result, externals showed more favorable attitudes toward stigmatized groups than internals. Also subjects with high scores in the negative scales and resolution scales that measured psychosocial personality development showed more favorable attitudes toward stigmatized groups than subjects with low scores.