EXPECTANCY OF SUCCESS AND PROBABILITY LEARNING OF MIDDLE-CLASS LOWER-CLASS AND RETARDED CHILDREN

TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT RETARDED AND NORMAL CHILDREN OF THE SAME MA DIFFER IN PERFORMANCE ON A PARTIALLY REINFORCED 3-CHOICE LEARNING TASK BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERING EXPECTANCIES OF SUCCESS. THE PERFORMANCE OF 60 NORMAL LOWER-CLASS (LOW EXPECTANCY) AND 60 NORMAL MIDDLE-CLASS (HIGH EXPECTANCY) SS WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF 60 NONINSTITUTIONALIZED RETARDATES. 1/3 OF THE SS IN EACH GROUP WERE ASSIGNED TO A SUCCESS, FAILURE, OR CONTROL CONDITION WHICH THEY EXPERIENCED PRIOR TO PERFORMING ON THE CRITERION TASK. 1/2 OF THE SS IN EACH GROUP WERE PENALIZED FOR MAKING ERRORS. NORMAL LOWER-CLASS SS SHOWED THE MOST MAXIMIZING (CORRECT RESPONSES) AND THE LEAST LEFT, MIDDLE, RIGHT PATTERNING OF RESPONSES, WHILE NORMAL MIDDLE-CLASS SS SHOWED THE LEAST MAXIMIZING AND MOST PATTERNING. RETARDED SS FELL BETWEEN THESE 2 GROUPS ON BOTH MEASURES. (29 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.