Discrimination, Death, and Disgust: Effects of Medical Technology on Disabilities

Wheat, Catherine

Discrimination, Death, and Disgust: Effects of Medical Technology on Disabilities

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/59125

Author(s)

Wheat, Catherine

Date Issued

March 31, 2025

Abstract

This project was interested in investigating how medical technology devices may a) disclose disability to another person b) effect and alter human behavior and emotions after viewership c) if different types of medical technology devices elicit different amounts of behavior and emotional change and d) make a conclusion from previous literature to predict an indirect assumption of prejudice, stigma, and discrimination on a person with a disability. Previous literature concluded that people who are disabled are often ridiculed, stigmatized, and discriminated against, causing them to have health problems. Medical technology devices have helped people who are disabled, by supporting physiological health and assisting in mobility issues. Although they have many positives, medical devices can also disclose disabilities which could lead to more negative effects. There is also a lapse in research for different types of disabilities and how they may interact with participants' feelings and behavior. This study aims to address these gaps. This project had 60 participants, ages ranging from 18 to 24 years old, who are also primarily white individuals. This study found that disgust, perceived vulnerability to disease, infantilization, and shame/guilt increase with the viewership of people with disabilities, generally. I also measured mortality salience which was not statistically significant. The results also found no significance between the group types (mobility, physiology, and control) on any of the variables. This may be caused by study methodologies or confounding variables, but should require further research focus. I therefore suggest that because of the increased behaviors and feelings from our variables (disgust, perceived vulnerability to disease, mortality salience, infantilization, and shame/guilt), that as previous research has found, discrimination, prejudice, and stigma all increase towards those with disabilities. This study is an important advancement to the representation of and research on people with disabilities and what they may experience.

Major

Psychology

Honors

Psychology, 2025

First Reader(s)

Pickering, Ryan