?THE EFFECT OF RESPONSE VERBALIZATION ON PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESSES IN MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN

Abstract

The purpose of the investigation was to examine the effect of response verbalization on the problem-solving, using the mentally retarded. This study employed a three-choice discrimination task (probability learning task) in which only one stimulus was partially reinforced, the other two yielding zero reinforcement. The subjects were 30 mentally retarded children in each of three MAgroups with mean MA of 4・5, 6, and 7・8. The experiment was designed to be divided into three experimental groups in each of MAgroups. In the one group (self-verbalized group), subjects verbalized the outcome of choice response for themselves; while in the other group (other-verbalized group), subjects were given its verbalization by others. And in control group, subjects didn't verbalize and were given nothing without common instruction. The main results were as follows: The effects of response verbalization on problem-solving were found in 4・5 MAgroups and 7・8 MAgroups, but weren't found in 6 MAgroups. In 4・5 MAgroups, verbalization by others made subjects capable of changing maximizing behavior, i. e., patterning, win-shift and lose-shift, And in 7・8 MAgroups, subjects who verbalized the outcome of choice response for themselves showed more patterning and less maximizing response. Based upon the results above, the role of response verbalization in the processes of solving probability learning task was discussed by following point of view, i. e., facilitating cognize the quality of stimulus elements and understand the relation among its.