The effect of same sex and cross sex experimenters on the attentive behaviors and learning of 64 educable mentally retarded children were examined under two conditions: experimenter not present; and experimenter present and providing cues relevant to task mastery. Female Ss were found to perform significantly better with male experimenters than with females, while male Ss performed significantly better with female experimenters than with males. Ss in the experimenter present condition showed slightly, but not significantly, better learning and exhibited significantly greater numbers of nontask orienting responses than Ss in the experimenter not present condition. Reversal trials showed greater glancing and superior reversal learning when experimenters were present and providing relevant cues. Response latency data was included in the description of differential response characteristics of learners and nonlearners in the study. (Author/GW)