Educational decision makers (N=224) participated in a computer simulated decision making experience to ascertain the extent to which referral information on a child with a suspected handicapping condition biased classification decisions. Ss were randomly assigned to 16 conditions varying on the basis of the child's sex, socioeconomic status, physical attractiveness, and nature of referral problem. Ss had access to test data, all of which reported pupil performance in the normal range. Only the nature of the referral problem was influential in the simulated decisions. A referred child was more likely to be diagnosed as emotionally disturbed when the referral statement of the problem was listed as behavioral rather than academic. Ss ignored standardized test information indicating average performance and retained the stereotype created by the referral information. (Author/CL)