title: Conceptual rule learning in normal and learning disabled children.
abstract: Conceptual-rule learning performance of 36 normal and learning-disabled children, matched on CA, MA, and sex was compared with the use of a modified reception paradigm. Four types of rules (affirmation, conjunction, disjunction, conditional) and familiar and nonfamiliar shape attributes were used to test Bourne's stimulus-encoding hypothesis. Main findings indicated that when tested, learning-disabled children were deficient in all conceptual-rule tasks on an experimental paced, continuous-reinforcement schedule. Expected differences in rule complexity were found; however, disabled children's conceptual-rule response difficulties did not compare with normals. Manipulation of the attribute of shape familiarity produced only discernible saliency advantages in normal children. It was hypothesized that learning-diabled children were poor in problem solving because of a deficit in the comprehension of negative instances.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003210:Concept Formation; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D014706:Verbal Learning