Personality Factors Which May Interfere With the Learning of Adult Basic Education Students

Abstract

This paper surveys the literature in several areas of psychological research in an effort to better understand the learning character istics of culturally disadvantaged adults and to study certain emotional factors which appear to inhibit both participation in organized educational activities and effective learning. The survey of literature attempts: (1) to examine the concept of self, as it may pertain to the adult basic education student, (2) to review Rokeach's hypothesis of the closed belief-disbelief system in an effort to relate it to the emotional make-up of adult basic educa tion students, (3) to describe the "closed" social environment which may give rise to the phenomenon of the "closed" mind, and (4) to identify some of the personality characteristics of the adult basic education student which may interfere with his po tential as a learner.