The communication performance of disturbed and nondisturbed adolescents was compared for effectiveness and amount of information provided. Responses were scored in terms of figurative (form, size, color) and operative (location, direction, number) referents. Emotionally disturbed subjects were characterized by significantly poorer communication and a lack of a developmental change from early to late adolescence. No group differences were found in the amount of operative information used, but emotionally disturbed adolescents used less figurative information. The findings suggest that communication deficits constitute a central feature of emotional disturbance in adolescence and represent an important area for intervention.
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