STIMULUS OVER-SELECTIVITY - COMMON FEATURE IN AUTISM AND MENTAL-RETARDATION

Abstract

Groups of children with different IQ levels were trained to discriminate between stimulus cards containing 2 or more pictures. In subsequent testing the pictures were presented singly to determine how many pictures the child had responded to during discrimination training. The data showed that the lower the IQ, the fewer pictures the child responded to. Intellectually retarded functioning may be related to problems in overselective attention; the lower a person''s IQ level, the less of the environment becomes functional in controlling his behavior.