REHABILITATION THERAPIST GOALS FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED PATIENTS AS A FUNCTION OF ATTITUDE SIMILARITY

This study investigated the expectancies of rehabilitation medicine therapists for rehabilitation outcome with a physically disabled patient as a function of attitude similarity. Twenty physical, occupational, and corrective therapists filled out an opinion survey. Two weeks later they were given biographical data about a bogus patient and an opinion survey purported to be that of the patient but actually 80% or 20% similar to their own answers on the survey. Overall results indicate significantly greater attraction for an 80% similar patient (t = 4.87, p < .001) and greater expected achievement for that patient (t = 1.78, p < .05). Occupational therapists had significantly higher expectancies for the patient than the other therapies, and rehabilitation expectancies were not influenced by attitude similarity. Implications for future research are discussed.