title: Self-labeling by educably mentally retarded high school students in their mainstream and special education classes.
abstract: Educably mentally retarded (EMR) students and nonhandicapped students from their mainstream classes completed semantic differential ratings of a stereotypic popular teen-ager, juvenile delinquent, and special education student. Subjects also rated their global self-concepts and situation-specific self-concepts within the mainstream and the special class settings. Ratings were done at the beginning (Time 1) and the end (Time 2) of a semester. Results showed that mainstream classes did not "de-label" EMR students. Within the mainstream class, the number of EMR students who saw themselves as similar to a special education student significantly increased over time. Moreover, at Time 2, EMR students were more likely to think of themselves as similar to a special education student in their mainstream class than in their special education class. However, EMR subjects' global self-concepts did not change. Implications for mainstreaming are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012659:Semantic Differential; D012931:Social Environment; D013240:Stereotyping