PROFESSIONAL STEREOTYPES: HOW OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND NURSES PERCEIVE THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER

Occupational therapists (56) and nurses (56) rated their own and each other's professions on 30 attributes. Both held each other in high esteem. Occupational therapists were perceived as more interested in intellectual problems, innovative, snobbish, better looking and likely to have wealthier families and to be less organised, kind and nurturing, and resistant to change, to gossip less and enjoy parties less than nurses. Both groups saw their own profession as more sensitive in evaluating medical problems, having more sense of humour, being less impersonal and more interested in people. Results were compared with past research findings to consider whether there was any truth in these stereotypes. 1978 Occupational Therapy Australia Limited