Playground observations of 34 learning disabed and non-LD elementary children revealed few substantive differences between the LD and non-LD groups. Sociometric questionnaires indicated that LD Ss had lower status than the non-LD children, and that the non-LD children play with about half of the LD children for whom they expressed liking.…

Developmental changes in the structure of attitudes toward mentally retarded children in 585 elementary school-aged students were investigated. Four orthogonal factors characterized their responses: General Negative Evaluation, General Positive Evaluation, Likeability, and Unhappiness. Increased age was associated with decreased negative…

The purposes of the study were twofold: to determine whether educable mentally retarded (EMR) students are rejected during overt interactions with nonEMRs, and to determine whether EMRs who were integrated full-time in a nongraded school were perceived by their nonEMR peers to be similar to segregated EMRs or nonEMRs. Forty-two fourth, fifth and…

Teacher interactions with disabled and nondisabled students in 38 mainstreamed elementary classrooms were observed using an interval time-sampling procedure and behavioral categories. Results of discriminant analysis indicated that disabled students received fewer questions and were provided with less teacher feedback than their nondisabled peers.…

The effects of the label "mentally retarded" on peer attitudes was examined among third-grade pupils. The results show that labels should be considered only as they interact with specific behavior. (Author/DEP)

To determine whether social contact (forced versus voluntary) and reward acquisition (winning versus not winning) were differentially effective in influencing positive attitude change toward educable mentally retarded children (EMRs), 68 nonEMR males in the fourth through sixth grades were asked to select either a same-sex EMR or nonEMR as a…

The study involving 339 third through sixth graders investigated the application of the group discussion paradigm as a vehicle to improve nonhandicapped children's attitudes toward mentally retarded children. (SBH)

Examined were the effects of physical appearance and academic performance on the attitude toward handicapped children of 72 fourth- and fifth-grade students. (Author/CL)

Educable mentally retarded children who are mainstreamed are likely to have social problems due to personological concerns (maladaptive behavior, labeling) and environmental concerns (teacher attitudes and expectancies, peer attitudes). (CL)

Fifty-six junior-high-school pupils were questioned about their attitudes toward mentally retarded and crippled children. (Author)

Teachers and peers rated retarded children on the dimensions of misbehavior and academic performance. Perceived academic incompetence was associated with educable mentally retarded children's level of social acceptance, whereas perceived misbehavior was associated with social rejection by peers. Amount of exposure to nonretarded children did not…

Twenty-two educable mentally retarded (EMR) and 41 mentally typical students, 7 to 13 years of age, in an inner city school setting, were observed for six 5-minute period sessions on a 12 category schedule and were given a sociometric test to determine whether specific classroom behaviors of EMR children are related to social rejection and whether…