PERCEPTIONS OF DISABILITIES FROM A (DE)HUMANIZATION PERSPECTIVE: PEOPLE'S OWN PERCEPTIONS OF HOW DEHUMANIZING A DISABILITY IS INFLUENCES HOW THEY DISCLOSE IT.

Abstract: Disclosing health conditions can be tense regarding performance concerns or expectations. We argue that mental and physical illnesses are interpreted through distinct attributional lenses. Drawing on essentialism theory and mind perception, we examine how individuals construct these disclosures and consider the professional implications of these differences. In a pilot study (N = 47) and a full online study (N = 395), participants were randomly assigned to write a mental or physical health disclosure. Written disclosures were coded for framing strategies, and participants also reported their perceptions of humanization within these conditions. Participants assigned to disclose a mental condition reported a greater inclination to select language emphasizing agency, and this translated into greater observable use in the full study. This pattern suggests a compensatory trade-off: when physical legitimacy is unavailable, individuals anticipate a greater need to signal agency. This positions disclosure as a strategic attribution-management process with implications in professional conflict.

Keywords: mind perception, disclosures, agency, mental health