Sheldon Blackman

Cognitive Styles and Learning Disabilities

Research is reviewed relating the cognitive style dimensions of field dependence and reflection-impulsivity to underachievement, process deficits (minimal brain dysfunction), and hyperactivity. In general, field independence and a reflective cognitive style are associated with better performance. The importance of modifying the learners cognitive style and matching the learning environment to the learners cognitive style also are examined.

Generalizations regarding deviant groups.

A number of authors have written that the process of labeling a deviant and the generalizations held about types of deviants play an important role shaping the behavior of the mentally ill (3 , 4 ) . A widely used procedure for studying the generalizations held by groups is the method developed by Katz and Braly ( 2 ) . While generally used in the study of ethnic groups, the method has also been used to study generalizations about automobile owncrs, body build, first names, occupations, and social class. The present study extends this method to generalizations held about deviant groups. Ss were 8 1 undergraduates enrolled at the City Universiry of New York. with a mean age of 23 yr. and a mean educational level of 14 yr. Seventy-three percent were female, and 91% were Caucasian. Each S was presented with a booklet and asked to select from a list of 84 adjectives the five most characteristic of each of the following concepts: Ideal Person, Negroes, Alcoholics, Americans, Mentally Ill, Mentally Retarded, Physically Disabled, Criminals, Yourself, and Drug Addicts. Scale values for favorableness of each adjective (1 ) were assigned to the 10 most frequently occurring adjectives for each concept. A one-way analysis of variance indicated significantLy different evaluations of the concepts (F = 11.45, d f = 9/94, p < .01) . Similar results were obtained when the adjective scale values were weighted by the frequency of their occurrence. For [he scale values, a ScheffC ( 5 ) analysis for post hoc comparisons was used to study differences between pairs of means. The concepts, Drug Addicts, Criminals, and Alcoholics, were each evaluated significantly lower than Ideal Person, Yourself, and Physically Disabled; Americans, Mentally Retarded, Negroes, and Mentally 111 fell in the middle range. Mentally I11 was characterized by a mixture of positive (imaginative, sensitive, meditative), neutral (quiet, impulsive), and negative (unreliable, grasping, quick-tempered, evasive, suspicious) adjectives. Mentally I11 shared with Mentally Retarded the adjectives sensitive, impulsive, and quiet. Other adjectives assigned to Mentally Retarded were honest, kind, faithful, resewed, ignorant, naive, and innovative.

Some aspects of a theory of community mental health

A theoretical position is developed relating the likelihood of an individuals becoming disabled to his pattern of interaction in the community. It is postulated that a system of reciprocation exists among the people with whom an individual interacts. This reciprocation may provide emotional support and services in times of stress, thus helping the individual to ward off disability. Characteristics of networks within which such reciprocation systems may exist, and some measurement problems, are discussed.