The effects of a direct-mail informational campaign on attitudes of industrial managers toward the mentally retarded population

Abstract

This study attempted to determine the effects of a direct-mail campaign on the attitudes of managers and presidents of industries toward the mentally retarded. The participants in the study were 99 managers and presidents selected from a total population of 4290 within the State of Alabama, USA. Random sampling techniques were utilized to select and assign managers and presidents into an experimental group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 49), giving a total usable sample size of 99. The size of this sample was adequate to insure that, in 19 out of 20 cases, the sample mean was within 0.50 points of the population mean on the response scale according to Elliot (1980). The pre-test of the attitude scale was administered to the experimental and control groups by mail. A post-test was administered to the control and experimental groups one week after the mailing of the final pamphlet. The major finding of this study revealed positive attitude gains from pre-test to post-test for the experimental group following the direct-mail campaign. No significant difference was noted for the control group from pre-test and post-test. Pre-test scores of the experimental and control groups were not significantly different; however, post-test scores between these groups were significantly different. The results of this research contribute further information on a direct-mail approach for changing attitudes of managers and presidents of industries toward mentally retarded persons.