The development of the interpersonal construct system in educable mentally retarded children
Journal of Mental Deficiency Research
|September 1, 1986
Summary
Mentally retarded children show less complex and abstract interpersonal construct systems compared to their non-retarded peers. Developmental trends indicate significant differences in construct use by age 12.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Special Education
Background:
- The interpersonal construct system is crucial for social cognition.
- Understanding its development in children with intellectual disabilities is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of interpersonal construct systems in educable mentally retarded (EMR) children.
- To compare EMR children with non-retarded children on measures of cognitive complexity, construct abstractness, and egocentricity.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving EMR children and non-retarded children across mental age groups (6, 8, 10, 12 years).
- Utilized three measures: cognitive complexity, construct abstractness, and egocentricity.
Main Results:
- EMR children demonstrated a limited number of constructs and less abstractness compared to non-retarded peers.
- Non-retarded children exhibited more other-oriented constructs, indicating lower egocentricity.
- Significant developmental differences were observed between younger (6-8 years) and older (12 years) age groups across all measures.
Conclusions:
- Intellectual disability is associated with a less developed interpersonal construct system.
- Cognitive and social development in construct systems show age-related progression, even in EMR populations.
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