The Effects Of Concrete And Abstract Reinforcement On The Performance Of Institutionalized Retarded Males On The Leiter International Performance Scale

Eighteen residents of an East Coast institution for mentally retarded males were randomly selected from the population of residents between the ages of 11 to 16 years old, having no history of psychiatric or visual impairment to participate in an experiment designed to assess the effects of abstract (verbal praise) and concrete reinforcement on the Leiter International Performance Scale. Subjects were randomly assigned to a counterbalanced within Ss repeated measures design employing a split-half technique of the L.I.P.S. The results revealed no difference in performance when concrete reinforcement was given for each correct response and a significant increase of 14 months in Mental Age when abstract reinforcement was given in the same manner. The application of the obtained results and suggestions for further research are discussed.