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INFORMATION PROCESSING AND THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED: an approach for considering work skills
Author(s) -
MYOTT ANNE
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of the institute of mental subnormality (apex)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1468-3156
pISSN - 0141-2205
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3156.1980.tb00515.x
Subject(s) - information processing , psychology , stimulus (psychology) , cognitive psychology , computer science
Summary The usefulness of information concepts in an assessment situation was commented on as early as 1957 by Annett and, more recently, by Olsen (1971) who suggested that channel capacity could act as a sensitive index of mental retardation. Renewed interest has been shown by Whelan (1974). The present study raises three major considerations. Firstly, it suggests that the ability of the mentally handicapped to process information is influenced by the nature of the cues used. Colour cues appear to be processed significantly faster than shape cues. Secondly, there are significant differences in the speed of information processing depending on the amount of information conveyed by the stimulus card. Thirdly, it suggests that measures of central processing over information levels where the subject has to utilise one or two bits of information are comparable with non‐handicapped populations, and that handicapped individuals suffer in comparison in terms of their movement time.