Hatice Yildirim Sari and colleagues describe a survey that investigated whether temperament and character were influential factors on attitudes towards disability

Aim To examine whether there is a relationship between the temperament and character of university students and their attitude towards people with disabilities.

Methods The study investigated the views of nursing students in their second year of university who had elected to take a course on disability. Questionnaires were distributed to 100 people and 81 filled in the forms completely, 75 of whom (92.6%) were women. The study data were collected in January 2014. Data were analysed using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) scale.

Results The mean attitude score of the students was 68.77 ± 12.71 (min: 39, max: 102). The correlation between the mean scores for the ATDP scale and the subdimensions of the TCI was evaluated. A significant correlation was determined between positive attitudes towards people with disabilities and the reward dependence dimension and the sentimentality sub-scale of reward dependence.

Conclusion A relationship was determined between reward dependence and positive attitudes towards people with disabilities. People high in reward dependence are compassionate, sensitive, dependent on others’ approval and sociable. Education to improve nursing students’ attitudes towards disabled people and their social communication skills should be incorporated into nurse training. Future studies should investigate the effects of temperament and character on attitudes, as well as sociodemographic factors. Sample groups should be selected from a range of social groups to see if nursing students who will be caring for people with disabilities have a more positive attitude towards them.