An Investigation of Interpersonal Problem Solving Abilities of Elementary Children with Mild Mental Retardation

• Main Authors: SHU-HUI FENG, 馮淑慧
• Other Authors: Tair-Jye Chou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/58876903386515893505

碩士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 特殊教育研究所 === 88 === The major purpose of this investigation was to examine the interpersonal problem solving abilities of elementary children with mild mental retardation (MR). The interpersonal problem solving abilities evidenced by these children were compared to nonretarded groups matched for chronological age (CA-matched) and mental age (MA-matched). Forty-five children participated in this study, in which each group had 15 children. All were administered an Interpersonal Problem Solving Test to explore how they responded to various social situations. The data recorded were then transcribed into forty-five protocols for analysis of the interpersonal problem solving strategies. Major findings of this study were as follows: 1. Children with mild mental retardation scored lower than the MA-matched and CA-matched counterparts in interpersonal problem solving, attributable tendency, alternative thinking, consequential thinking, and strategic evaluating. Also the MA-matched groups scored lower than the CA-matched group in interpersonal problem solving, alternative thinking, and consequential thinking. However, there were no significant differences between the MA-matched and CA-matched groups in attributable tendency and strategic evaluating. 2. The CA-matched group used the interpersonal problem solving strategies significantly more often than the other two groups. 3. The interpersonal problem solving strategies used by the three groups were grouped into eight categories, including: (1)appealing to authority, (2)requesting/commanding, (3)avoiding conflict, (4)communicating, (5)being hostile, (6)clarifying, (7)being prosocial, (8)being irrelevant. 4. Children with mild mental retardation used irrelevant and hostile strategies more frequently than the MA-matched and CA-matched groups. 5. Children with mild mental retardation used strategies of requesting/commanding and appealing to authority more frequently than the CA-matched group did, but did not differ from that of the MA-matched group. 6. Children with mild retardation used strategies of avoiding conflict, clarifying, communicating and prosocial less frequently than the MA-matched and CA-matched groups. 7. Both children with mild mental retardation and the MA-matched group used the lower level strategies and negative strategies in the interpersonal problem situations. On the contrary, the CA-matched group tended to use the higher level strategies and positive strategies.