The effect of varying instructional sets on verbal conceptual performance was investigated by administering a composite Similarities list to normal and retarded children of various CA and MA levels. Lack of differences between instructional conditions suggested that both normal and retarded Ss were giving their best available response in the customary psychometric format. The superiority of a multiple-choice format highlighted the developmental discrepancy between the ability to recognize conceptual responses and the ability spontaneously to formulate such responses.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BrunerJ. S.GoodnowJ. J.AustinG. A.A study of thinking. New York: Wiley, 1956.
2.
FurthH. G.Conceptual discovery and control on a pictorial part-whole task as a function of age, intelligence and language. J. educ. Psychol., 1963, 54, 191–196.
3.
FurthH. G.MilgramN. A.The influence of language on classification: a theoretical model applied to normal, retarded, and deaf children. Genet. psychol. Monogr., 1965, 72, 317–351. (a)
4.
FurthH. G.MilgramN. A.Verbal factors and performance on WISC similarities. J. clin. Psychol., 1965, 21, 424–427. (b)
5.
GagneR. M.Verbal instructions as experimental variables in learning. Paper read at a symposium. Meaningful Verbal Learning, at the APA meetings in Los Angeles, 1964. Amer. Psychologist, 1964, 19, 469.
6.
KlausmeierH. J.The effects of instructions that incorporate a principle and other information upon efficiency in concept attainment. Amer. Psychologist, 1964, 19, 464. (Abstract)
7.
MilgramN. A.Verbal and conceptual classification in trainable mentally retarded children. Amer. J. ment. Defic., in press.
8.
StaatsA. W.Verbal habit families, concepts, and the operant conditioning of word classes. Psychol. Rev., 1961, 68, 190–204.
