A systematic review and meta-analysis of associations between primarily non-autistic people's characteristics and attitudes toward autistic people.

This research looked at what makes some people have more positive attitudes toward autistic individuals. They found that women, people who know more about autism, and those who have had good experiences with autistic people tend to have more positive views. The age of the person didn't matter, nor did having autistic traits themselves. Most studies only looked at White college students, so we need more diverse research.

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined factors that influence non-autistic people's attitudes toward autistic individuals across 47 studies. The research predominantly surveyed White undergraduate students and investigated demographic characteristics, contact experiences, autism knowledge, and personality traits. The meta-analysis of 36 studies revealed significant associations between positive attitudes and participants' gender, autism knowledge, and both quality and quantity of previous contact with autistic people. Age and autistic traits were not significantly associated with attitudes.

The review highlighted methodological concerns including unreliable measurement instruments, lack of theoretical frameworks, and limited diversity in study populations.

Results suggest that autism education programs and facilitating positive contact experiences with autistic individuals may improve attitudes. Gender differences should be considered when designing interventions. More diverse populations and reliable measurement tools are needed for future research to inform evidence-based approaches for reducing stigma.

Studies predominantly surveyed White undergraduate students, limiting generalizability. Many measurement instruments had poor reliability or used single-item measures. Theoretical frameworks were rarely provided to guide investigations. Internal consistency was not reported for some instruments, and some had alpha levels below 0.70.

This systematic review includes a narrative synthesis and meta-analysis of research on the associations between primarily non-autistic people's characteristics and their attitudes toward autistic people. Of 47 studies included in the narrative synthesis, White undergraduate students were surveyed most frequently. Demographic characteristics were the factors most frequently tested for associations with attitudes, followed by contact-related factors (i.e., quantity and quality), knowledge about autism, trait and personality factors, and other factors that did not fit into a single category. Internal consistency was not reported for some instruments assessing raters' characteristics; some instruments had alpha levels lower than 0.70, and many characteristics of raters were measured using one-item measures.

Moreover, theoretical motivations for investigating the raters' characteristics were rarely provided. A total of 36 studies were included in the meta-analysis, which showed that attitudes toward autistic people were significantly associated with participants' gender, knowledge about autism, and quality and quantity of their previous contact with autistic people, but not with their age or autistic traits. These findings indicate a need for more studies that focus on context-related characteristics (e.g., institutional variables such as support/commitment to inclusion), use reliable instruments to measure non-autistic people's characteristics, and situate their investigation in a theoretical framework.