Reactions of Mothers with Mentally Retarded Children: A Social Perspective

Abstract

38 mothers of retarded children and 70 mothers of nonretarded children were asked a series of Likert-type questions designed to tap social behaviors and attitudes. The mothers of retarded children were more likely to express positive attitudes toward the retarded and to expect that the “average” person in the community has a negative opinion of the retarded than were the mothers of the nonretarded children. Mothers of retarded children also manifested different patterns of social behavior regarding employment and utilization of babysitters, in comparison with mothers of nonretarded children.