Long-Term Perceptual Memory in Children with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Long-term perceptual memory effects in the perception of apparent movement by children with learning disabilities were investigated. In a situation in which prior training was given to facilitate the perception of the illusion after intervals of either 3 minutes or 24 hours, the learning disabled showed perception memory effects the same as those found in normal children (Raskin, 1968). However, when the training was given with the expectation of its hindering the occurrence of perceived movement, it did so only after a 3-minute delay and not in those children who waited 24 hours. The latter result has also been reported for educable mentally retarded children (Raskin, 1969b) and indicates that these children may share a specific perceptual memory problem parallel to their general lack of inhibitory control.