UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS OF DEAF PARENTS

A methodology for assessing attitudes toward nontraditional parents was developed. 54 university students with a mean age of 26.5 yr. (SD = 10.2 yr.) participated in a study which assessed attitudes toward deaf parents by asking subjects to rate the adoptive suitability of an unmarried applicant based on a scenario describing the individual as a deaf woman, deaf man, hearing woman, or hearing man. Women were perceived as more suitable to adopt daughters, and men were perceived as more suitable to adopt sons. Applicants' hearing status and gender influenced perceived suitability to adopt a son but not a daughter.