The Journal of Genetic Psychology Research and Theory on Human Development
ISSN: 0022-1325 (Print) 1940-0896 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vgnt20
Recipient Characteristics and Sharing Behavior in the Learning Disabled Frank Fincham To cite this article: Frank Fincham (1978) Recipient Characteristics and Sharing Behavior in the Learning Disabled, The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 133:1, 143-144, DOI: 10.1080/00221325.1978.10533368 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00221325.1978.10533368
Published online: 04 Sep 2012.
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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=vgnt20 Download by: [NUS National University of Singapore]
Date: 05 November 2015, At: 23:42
The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1978, 133, 143-144.
RECIPIENT CHARACTERISTICS AND SHARING BEHAVIOR IN T H E LEARNING DISABLED* Downloaded by [NUS National University of Singapore] at 23:42 05 November 2015
University of the Witwakrsrand, South r9frica
FRANKFINCHAM
SUMMARY The widespread belief that learning disabled (LD) children manifest social skill deficits rests largely on clinical and anecdotal observations. Bryan’s work supports this viewpoint as his LD Ss were low in peer popularity and differed qualitatively in interpersonal relationships when compared to normal controls. These results suggest that the LD child’s sharing behavior is likely to differ from that of his normal achieving peers. The present study hypothesised that LD children (a) share more with a friend, and (b)share less with a strange peer in comparison to normal achievers. Ss were 67 8- and 9-year-old boys from middle and upper class homes. The LDgroupSs(N = 26;Mage = 109.38months,SD = 7.76;MZQ = 107.19, SD = 10.39)were receiving full-time remedial education as a result of having been diagnosed “learning disabled” by a multidisciplinary team. Control groupSs (N = 41, M age = 108.31, SD = 6.78, M ZQ = 110.58, SD = 9.08) achieved at an average to above level for their age and grade. The two groups didnotdifferintermsofage[t(65)= .59,p > .lOlorZQ[t(65)= 1.37,p > .lo]. S s were asked the name of their best friend which was written by E on a donation box. S was then given the opportunity to share a set number of candies (M81Ms) with his friend by placing them in the box. In the stranger condition S was shown the picture of a poorly-dressed peer. He was told the boy was from a home and was again allowed to share candies by placing them in an appropriate box. The results showed that LDSs did not differ from controls in sharing with a friend [t(65) = .57, p > .lo] but did give significantly fewer candies to the
* Receivedinthe EditorialOffice,Provincetown, Massachusetts,on June 29,1977. Copyright, 1978, by The Journal Press. Bryan, T. S. Peer popularity of learning disabled children. J . Learn. Disab., 1974, 7 , 621-625; and An observational analysis of classroom behaviors of children with learning disabilities. J . Learn. Disab., 1974, 7, 26-34. 143
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strange peer [t(65)= 2.54, p < .021. Although performance on the two tasks correlated significantly in both groups (p < .OS), only normals differed in the number of candies given under the two conditions [t(40)= 6.05, p < .001l. As the two groups shared similar quantities of candy with a friend the present hypothesis was only partly supported. It thus seems that low peer popularity may not affect the LD child’s sharing behavior in an established relationship. Even if LD children feel threatened by their status in the peer group, they appear to cling to friends or try to gain their approval by sharing more with them. However LD children shared less with a strange peer than normals because normal achievers shared more with the stranger than their friends, a finding consistent with previous research.* As Zinser suggests, such behavior may be an attempt to reduce social distance3 and hence the LD are possibly limited in establishing new relationships. The present result is perhaps not surprising, as it seems reasonable to assume that LD children’s past experience with peers would lead them to anticipate rejection. However, causal directions cannot be determined from existing data. It is thus not clear whether peer popularity and/or the nature of interpersonal relationships is a determinant of sharing behavior with a strange peer or vice versa, a potentially fruitful area for future research. Department of Psychology University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3UD, England
*
Wright, B. A. Altruism in children and perceivedconductofothers.1.Abn. 6 Soc. Psychol.,
1942, 37, 218-233.
Zinser, O . , Perry, J. S., Bailey, R. C . , & Lydiatt, E. W. Racial recipients, value of donations, and sharing behavior in children. 1.Genet. Psychol., 1976, 149, 29-35.
ISSN: 0022-1325 (Print) 1940-0896 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vgnt20
Recipient Characteristics and Sharing Behavior in the Learning Disabled Frank Fincham To cite this article: Frank Fincham (1978) Recipient Characteristics and Sharing Behavior in the Learning Disabled, The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 133:1, 143-144, DOI: 10.1080/00221325.1978.10533368 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00221325.1978.10533368
Published online: 04 Sep 2012.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 3
View related articles
Citing articles: 4 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=vgnt20 Download by: [NUS National University of Singapore]
Date: 05 November 2015, At: 23:42
The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1978, 133, 143-144.
RECIPIENT CHARACTERISTICS AND SHARING BEHAVIOR IN T H E LEARNING DISABLED* Downloaded by [NUS National University of Singapore] at 23:42 05 November 2015
University of the Witwakrsrand, South r9frica
FRANKFINCHAM
SUMMARY The widespread belief that learning disabled (LD) children manifest social skill deficits rests largely on clinical and anecdotal observations. Bryan’s work supports this viewpoint as his LD Ss were low in peer popularity and differed qualitatively in interpersonal relationships when compared to normal controls. These results suggest that the LD child’s sharing behavior is likely to differ from that of his normal achieving peers. The present study hypothesised that LD children (a) share more with a friend, and (b)share less with a strange peer in comparison to normal achievers. Ss were 67 8- and 9-year-old boys from middle and upper class homes. The LDgroupSs(N = 26;Mage = 109.38months,SD = 7.76;MZQ = 107.19, SD = 10.39)were receiving full-time remedial education as a result of having been diagnosed “learning disabled” by a multidisciplinary team. Control groupSs (N = 41, M age = 108.31, SD = 6.78, M ZQ = 110.58, SD = 9.08) achieved at an average to above level for their age and grade. The two groups didnotdifferintermsofage[t(65)= .59,p > .lOlorZQ[t(65)= 1.37,p > .lo]. S s were asked the name of their best friend which was written by E on a donation box. S was then given the opportunity to share a set number of candies (M81Ms) with his friend by placing them in the box. In the stranger condition S was shown the picture of a poorly-dressed peer. He was told the boy was from a home and was again allowed to share candies by placing them in an appropriate box. The results showed that LDSs did not differ from controls in sharing with a friend [t(65) = .57, p > .lo] but did give significantly fewer candies to the
* Receivedinthe EditorialOffice,Provincetown, Massachusetts,on June 29,1977. Copyright, 1978, by The Journal Press. Bryan, T. S. Peer popularity of learning disabled children. J . Learn. Disab., 1974, 7 , 621-625; and An observational analysis of classroom behaviors of children with learning disabilities. J . Learn. Disab., 1974, 7, 26-34. 143
Downloaded by [NUS National University of Singapore] at 23:42 05 November 2015
144
JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY
strange peer [t(65)= 2.54, p < .021. Although performance on the two tasks correlated significantly in both groups (p < .OS), only normals differed in the number of candies given under the two conditions [t(40)= 6.05, p < .001l. As the two groups shared similar quantities of candy with a friend the present hypothesis was only partly supported. It thus seems that low peer popularity may not affect the LD child’s sharing behavior in an established relationship. Even if LD children feel threatened by their status in the peer group, they appear to cling to friends or try to gain their approval by sharing more with them. However LD children shared less with a strange peer than normals because normal achievers shared more with the stranger than their friends, a finding consistent with previous research.* As Zinser suggests, such behavior may be an attempt to reduce social distance3 and hence the LD are possibly limited in establishing new relationships. The present result is perhaps not surprising, as it seems reasonable to assume that LD children’s past experience with peers would lead them to anticipate rejection. However, causal directions cannot be determined from existing data. It is thus not clear whether peer popularity and/or the nature of interpersonal relationships is a determinant of sharing behavior with a strange peer or vice versa, a potentially fruitful area for future research. Department of Psychology University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3UD, England
*
Wright, B. A. Altruism in children and perceivedconductofothers.1.Abn. 6 Soc. Psychol.,
1942, 37, 218-233.
Zinser, O . , Perry, J. S., Bailey, R. C . , & Lydiatt, E. W. Racial recipients, value of donations, and sharing behavior in children. 1.Genet. Psychol., 1976, 149, 29-35.
