Task monotony and performance efficacy of mentally retarded young adults

Mildly mentally retarded young adults were exposed to one of three training arrangements for vigilance performance, a monitoring task that some professionals consider uniquely appropriate for such persons because they are assumed to be less susceptible to boredom. Evidence indicated that accuracy generally declines over time. Training approaches used in this study allowed component analysis of procedures used in a previous study in which accuracy did not decline. Replication of the divergent study's procedures and alternate arrangements produced the characteristic vigilance decrement that was unrelated to on-task errors but varied with certain off-task behavior. Accuracy levels mirrored the degree of tangible reinforcement but, like nonretarded observers, retarded monitors found the task boring or otherwise unrewarding.