Verbal Learning Errors by Mentally Retarded Adolescents as a Function of Learning Stage

Abstract

Analysis of patterns of errors in learning word-pairs under verbal presentation by 60 14- to 18-yr.-old mildly mentally retarded adolescents indicated a significant interaction between trials and type of errors and main effects of trials and types of errors. Both omissions and misplaced responses decreased significantly from Trial 1 to 2. Omissions also decreased significantly from Trials 2 to 3. Both stimulus intrusions and extralist intrusions contributed very little to total errors. Results are similar to earlier findings and suggest that psychologists attempting to improve performance of mentally retarded adolescents by decreasing errors in learning word-pairs should focus on early learning stages and primarily on omissions and misplaced responses.

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