Designing instructional media for severely retarded adolescents: a theoretical approach to trait-treatment interaction research
Nathanson, D.E.
American Journal of Mental Deficiency 82(1): 26-32
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9351 PMID: 70171 Document Number: 110331
Moderately and severely retarded adolescents (N=70) individually viewed a cartoon, a live action film, and a pixilation film in color or black and white. A distractor method was used to measure frequency and duration of eye movement to visual stimuli. Content of visual stimuli was controlled, presentation of a distractor randomized, and all eye movement monitored to the nearest second. Black and white visual presentations had greater attentional value than color presentations and use of real human beings appeared to be more salient as an attention-holding technique than was use of animated characters. Implications of the results for use with severely retarded adolescents were discussed.