This thesis deals with the question which attitudes children between four and six years who attend an integrated classroom show towards peers with physical disabilities. In particular this work tries to shed light on the cognitive and affective components of attitudes concerning physical disabilities. Previous results of attitude research were described and discussed in the first part of this work. The understanding of, the judgements and feelings about peers with physical disabilities were

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... ied by interviewing a sample of eleven children from an integrated classroom by using qualitative interviews. The qualitative content analysis developed by Mayring was used to interpret the results. The results are mostly consistent with those of other studies and revealed that the interviewed children knew about the term "wheelchair" and that they were aware of the fact, that a person who is dependent on using a wheelchair experiences some sort of physical restriction. The children named illnesses, broken legs or accidents but also disabilities as possible reasons for this physical impairment. However, the results could not answer the question, whether the children viewed this impairment and the use of the wheelchair as a temporary or a permanent matter. It was also shown that the ablebodied children underestimated the abilities of children with physical disabilities and a majority could not imagine to have disabled friend. But some children did express a positive attitude towards having a disabled friend. The results have been discussed in terms of their relevance for inclusive education and possibilities to acquire positive attitudes towards peers with diabilities.