Theory and research in mental (developmental) retardation

Abstract

Instead of viewing the cause of psychological retardation as a theoretical construct such as mentality, or as a biological phenomenon such as impairment of the brain, it is suggested that it be conceived of as generated by adverse histories or simply as failures of coordinations of stimulus and response functions. This position, the natural science approach, suggests a search for the conditions of which limited repertories may be a function such as organismic anomalies, intermittent reinforcement and extinction, inadequate reinforcement history, severe punishment, extreme satiation and deprivations, and emotional operations. The advantages of this approach are described. At present studies concerned with functional analyses are aimed at either theory testing involving hypothetical constructs or at direct analysis of relationships between environmental and behavioral events. The latter consists of three subgroups. (1) Those exploring basic conditions for experimental analyses, (2) those investigating behaviors which occur with high frequency among the retarded, and (3) those applying behavior principles to education and training.