Age-Appropriate Activities: Effects on the Social Perception of Adults with Mental Retardation

Abstract

The effect of age-appropriate activities on the perception of an adult with mental retardation was investigated using two videotaped viewing conditions: in the first condition, the adult participated in leisure activities typical for young women; in the second condition, the adult participated in leisure activities de-signed for much younger persons. Social perception was examined on a number of dimensions: estimated intelligence quotient, estimated reading level, social distance, and likability. Ratings were completed by 94 undergraduate university students who were randomly assigned to one of the two viewing conditions. Statisti-cally-significant differences were found on how respondents perceived an adult woman who is mentally retarded, based on the leisure activities in which she was participating. Chronological age-appropriate activities were associated with higher ratings of estimated IQ and reading level. These findings offer empiri-cal evidence to join well-established professional values in supporting the development of an age-appropriate and functional curriculum for persons who are mentally retarded.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brown

, Branston

M. B.

, Hamre-Nietupske

, Pumpian

, Certo

, & Gruenewald

(1979). A strategy for developing chronological age-appropriate and functional curricular content for severely handicapped adolescents and young adults. Journal of Special Education, 13, 81–90.

Calhoun

L. G.

, Selby

J. W.

, & Wroten

J. D.

(1977). Situational constraints and type of causal explanation: The effects on perceived “mental illness” and social rejection. Journal of Research in Personality, 11, 95–100.

Dion

K. L.

, Berscheid

, & Walster

(1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 285–290.

England

J. L.

, & Langton

(1983). Developing a comprehensive curriculum management system for students with severe mental handicaps. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 240 798).

Epstein

H. R.

(1982). Means, ends, and the principle of normalization: a closer look. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 17, 153–156.

Gottlieb

(1975). Public, peer, and professional attitudes toward mentally retarded persons. In Begab

& Richardson

(Eds.), The mentally retarded and society. Baltimore: University Park Press.

Gottlieb

, & Budoff

(1973). Social acceptability of retarded children in nongraded schools differing in architecture. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 78, 15–19.

Gottwald

(1970). Public awareness about mental retardation. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children Research Monograph.

Guskin

(1981). Directions for research on attitudes related to mental retardation. In Mittler

(Ed.), Frontiers of knowledge in mental retardation, (Vol. 1), (pp. 397–405). Baltimore: University Park Press.

10.

Hill

J. W.

, Wehman

, & Horst

(1982). Toward generalization of appropriate leisure and social behavior in severely handicapped youth: pinball machine use. TASH Journal, 6, 38–44.

11.

Kastner

L. S.

, Reppucci

N. D.

, & Pezzoli

J. J.

(1979). Assessing community attitudes toward mentally retarded persons. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 84, 137–144.

12.

Nirje

(1969). The normalization principle and its human management implications. In Kugel

& Wolfensberger

(Eds.), Changing patterns of residential services for the mentally retarded. Washington, DC: President's Committee on Mental Retardation.

13.

Rusch

F. R.

, Chadsey-Rusch

, White

D. M.

, & Gifford

J. L.

(1985). Programs for severely retarded adults: perspectives and methodologies. In Bricker

& Filler

(Eds.), Severe mental retardation: from theory to practice. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

14.

Sheridan

S. J.

& Springfield

H. L.

(1987). Age appropriate games in the teaching of leisure skills to persons with mental retardation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 324 876).

15.

Storey

, Stern

, & Parker

(1991). A comparison of attitudes toward typical recreational activities versus the Special Olympics. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 25, 94–99.

16.

Strauch

(1970). Social contact as a variable in the expressed attitudes of normal adolescents toward EMR pupils. Exceptional Children, 36, 485–494.

17.

Westling

D. L.

(1986). Introduction to mental retardation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

18.

Williams

R. F.

(1986). Perceptions of mentally retarded persons. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 21, 13–20.

19.

Wolfensberger

(1972). Normalization: The principle of normalization in human services. Toronto: National Institute on Mental Retardation.

20.

Yamamoto

, & Dizney

H. F.

(1967). Rejection of the mentally ill: A study of attitudes of student teachers. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 14, 264–268.