EFFECTIVENESS OF ADULT AND PEER REINFORCEMENT ON PERFORMANCE OF INSTITUTIONALIZED AND NONINSTITUTIONALIZED RETARDATES

20 INSTITUTIONALIZED AND 20 NONINSTITUTIONALIZED FAMILIAL RETARDATES OF COMPARABLE MA AND CA (13 YR.) WERE SOCIALLY REINFORCED BY EITHER A PEER OR AN ADULT ON A SIMPLE 2-PART SATIATION TASK. ADULT REINFORCEMENT WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PEER REINFORCEMENT FOR THE INSTITUTIONALIZED SS AND VICE VERSA FOR THE NONINSTITUTIONALIZED. THE GENERALITY OF THE FREQUENTLY NOTED WARINESS OR FEARFULNESS OF SS WAS ALSO EXAMINED. INSTITUTIONALIZED SS WERE MORE WARY THAN NONINSTITUTIONALIZED SS IN BOTH CONDITIONS. FINDINGS ARE INTERPRETED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PARTICULAR LIFE HISTORIES OF INSTITUTIONALIZED AND NONINSTITUTIONALIZED RETARDATES. (23 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.