Maternal support for the Down's syndrome stereotype: the effect of direct experience of the condition.

Maternal agreement with the Down's syndrome stereotype (as outlined in the literature) was investigated as a function of direct experience of the condition. Using an adjective checklist devised for this project, mothers of children aged between 3 and 9 years were asked to describe Down's children. Statistical analysis of the data collected revealed that familiarity with the condition resulted in a broader general stereotype (represented by the number of adjectives endorsed). Specifically, mothers of Down's Syndrome children attributed more personality traits to the Down's child than mothers without direct experience of the condition. Mothers of such children also claimed a wider range of personality characteristics for their own child than for Down's children in general. Implications for future research were discussed, as was the value of 'normalization' and increased contact with normal peers in the education and integration into the community of Down's children.