Response of emotionally disturbed children to auditory discrimination tests in quiet and in noise

A population was used of 18 children (6--13 yrs median = 9--1 yrs) enrolled in a psychiatric day care center where they received daily educational instruction and on two occasions per week they received psychotherapy. Intelligence was normal (Wechsler Full Scale mn = 96). Ss were individually given the Goldman-Friscoe-Woodcock Test of Auditory Discrimination both in quiet and in the noise condition. Median scores in quiet and in noise were both lower than general forms for these ages, lying indeed within the range of "poor discrimination" for the GFW, but the relative scores for the quiet and the noise conditions did not differ significantly from the pattern for normal children. However, 6 of the 18 Ss scored relatively better in noise than in quiet, and a Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Ranks test demonstrated that this was a significantly larger number (p less than .025, one-tailed test) than in the general population. Explanations were offered in terms of a reduction of internal noise, and of relative attention on the part of emotionally disturbed children.