Variations in children's conceptualizations of mental retardation as a function of inquiry methods.
This study addresses changes in the responses of third graders to questions about the nature, cause and course of mental retardation under different methods of inquiry. Specifically, do responses vary when the task demands explicit definitions, indirect identification (from a vignette of a functionally retarded but unlabelled youngster), photographic identification, renditions through drawing, or enactment through manipulating a figure on a game board? It was found that the mode of questioning markedly influenced children's portrayal of retardation. Discussion focuses on children's suggestibility (guessing in the service of conformity), greater willingness to be negative when asked to 'show' rather than 'talk', and genuine confusion.
Goodman
J F
JF
Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003210:Concept Formation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012928:Social Desirability; D013240:Stereotyping