• In a first-of-its-kind study in Australia, Charles Sturt University researchers found more than three quarters of the Australian sample implicitly stereotype people with disability as incompetent and emotionally cold
• The researchers’ discovery of the relationship between personal values and implicit bias offers a different way forward to improve outcomes for people with disability
• Policymakers could use the research findings to develop community strategies incorporating implicit bias and personal values awareness and training into education, employment and healthcare

A Charles Sturt University PhD graduate and colleagues have found evidence of disability bias in Australia in the first study of its kind here.

Graduate Dr Chrissy Antonopoulos (pictured inset, above) in the Charles Sturt School of Psychology said there are an estimated five and a half million people with disability in Australia (ABS, 2024) and they experience significant inequalities, barriers and discrimination in all aspects of their life.

“Often, barriers and prejudice towards people with disability are caused by other people and stem from negative attitudes and stereotypes,” Dr Antonopoulos said.

“This study investigated implicit bias towards people with disability and the relationship between implicit bias and personal values.”

The study, ‘Implicit bias towards people with disability in Australia: relationship with personal values’, was published in the Australian Journal of Psychology in May.

Dr Antonopoulos said this study is the first to link personal values with implicit bias and has confirmed that more than three quarters of the Australian sample implicitly stereotype people with disability as incompetent and cold, a stereotype profile that elicits feelings of contempt and disgust.

“People who value benevolence and universalism reported less negative implicit biases,” she said, “Whereas people who value adherence to current structures, norms, and power have greater negative implicit bias towards people with disability.”

Dr Antonopoulos argues that as people with disability historically and currently continue to experience inequality, it is essential to uncover mechanisms to target behaviour and influence decision-making to improve outcomes for people with disability.

“There has been no shortage of attempts to improve outcomes for people with disability, with little change to outcome variables such as employment, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,” she said.

“Our discovery of the relationship between personal values and implicit bias offers a different way forward.

“Policymakers could use the findings of this study to develop community strategies incorporating implicit bias and personal values awareness and training into education, employment and healthcare.

“To improve the lives of people with disability, the Australian community must look within at their implicit biases, their personal values and how these may be impacting people with disability, particularly for those working in healthcare, employment and government spaces.”

Learn more about studying the Bachelor of Psychology at Charles Sturt University and the impact a career in psychology can have.