Social deprivation and rigidity in the performance of feebleminded children.

Abstract

Work by Lewin (1936) and Kounin (see 15: 4231, 4232) had been interpreted as demonstrating that mental defectives evidenced greater rigidity of thinking than normal children of comparable level of mental age. However, another study (see 33: 3220) failed to support this hypothesis and these data were interpreted as pointing to a variable of social deprivation under certain conditions. The present work tested this hypothesis. Mental defective children were evaluated (by case history) as to degree of social deprivation. Ss were required to learn a simple motor task (marble-in-hole game) under 2 conditions of interaction by E. The results generally supported the hypothesis that interaction with an adult constitutes a reinforcing agent to learning to a socially deprived, mentally retarded child. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4JI32Z. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)