Non-verbal strategies in adolescents with mental development difficulties

Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine relationship between level of intellectual abilities and use of non-verbal strategies in adolescents with mental development difficulties. The sample consisted of 50 adolescents with difficulties in mental development, 23 females and 27 males, aged between 16 and 21 (M=18.48; SD=1.59), who attends I-III grade of craft high school in Belgrade, Serbia. According to age, participants were assigned in one of two groups, 16-18 (54%) and 19-21 age band. The sample consisted of 32% participants with moderate intellectual disability (ID), and 17 (34%) participants with mild ID and borderline intellectual functioning respectively. The sample is equalled by gender, age and level of intellectual abilities. The data on age and intellectual abilities were collected by analysing the official school documentation. Non-verbal planning was assessed by coding task, in which participants are expected to enter specific code bellow numbers 1-3 according the given scheme (instead of 1, 2 and 3 to enter OO, ++ and O+). Choosing a right strategy of problem solving enables to achieve the goal in time efficient manner. Time, number of correct responses and type of used strategy were recorded. The correlation coefficients (Pearson and Spearman) and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Most of the participants (68%) are successful on the coding task (M=15.88), for which they need 68.86 seconds in average to solve it (minimally 25, and maximally 180 seconds). For less than 40 seconds, this task was solved by 28% of participants, 48% of them solve the task for 41-62 seconds, while 24% of participants use more than 63 seconds to reach the goal. The level of intellectual abilities was significant factor of coding task completion time (p=0.019), while relation between number of correct responses and intellectual abilities were not statistically significant (p=0.575). Absence of strategic approach in problem solving was registered in 10% of participants, 50% of them use horizontal strategy (from left to right), while only 40% participants use vertical strategy (from above to down) that enables more efficient problem solving. Statistically significant moderate correlation was determined between the type of strategy and level of intellectual abilities (p=0.001). Although majority of adolescents with mental development difficulties can solve this task of non-verbal planning with success, less than half of them is using strategic behaviour based on task characteristics, avoiding usual predominant (well trained) approach.

Cilj ovog istraživanja je da se utvrdi odnos nivoa intelektualnih sposobnosti i primene neverbalnih strategija planiranja kod adolescenata sa teškoćama u mentalnom razvoju. Uzorkom je obuhvaćeno 50 adolescenata sa teškoćama u mentalnom razvoju, 23 devojke i 27 mladića, starosti 16-21 godine (AS=18,48; SD=1,59), učenika I-III razreda Srednje zanatske škole u Beogradu. U uzorku je zastupljeno 32% ispitanika sa umerenom intelektualnom ometenošću (IO) i po 17 (34%) ispitanika sa lakom IO i graničnim intelektualnim sposobnostima. Neverbalno planiranje je procenjeno zadatkom šifriranja (kodiranja), u kome se od ispitanika očekuje da u zadatu shemu ispod brojeva 1-3 upiše određenu šifru (umesto 1, 2 i 3 - OO, ++ i O+), birajući strategiju koja će omogućiti efikasnije rešavanje uz uštedu vremena. Beleži se broj tačnih odgovora, vreme rešavanja zadatka i tip strategije rešavanja. U statističkoj obradi podataka primenjeni su koeficijenti korelacije (Pirsonov i Spirmanov) i analiza varijanse. Većina ispitanika (68%) je uspešna na zadatku šifriranja (AS=15,88), za čije rešavanje im je u proseku potrebno 68,86 sekundi (minimalno 25, a maksimalno 180 sekundi). Za manje od 40 sekundi zadatak je rešilo 28% ispitanika, 48% rešavalo je zadatak 41-62 sekude, dok ga je 24% ispitanika rešavalo duže od 63 sekunde. Nivo intelektualnih sposobnosti je značajan činilac vremena rešavanja zadatka šifriranja (p=0,019), dok odnos broja tačnih odgovora i intelektualnih sposobnosti nije značajan (p=0,575). Kod 10% ispitanika nije uočeno postojanje strategije rešavanja, 50 % koristi horizontalnu strategiju sleva udesno, dok svega 40% primenjuje vertikalnu strategiju (odozgo naniže), koja omogućava efikasnije rešavanje zadatka. Utvrđeno je postojanje statistički značajne korelacije umerenog stepena između tipa strategije i nivoa intelektulnih sposobnosti (p=0,001). Iako većina adolescenata sa teškoćama u mentalnom razvoju uspešno rešava zadatak neverbalnog planiranja, kod manje od polovine se uočava postojanje strateškog pristupa zasnovanog na karakteristikama zadatka, a ne na uobičajenom i dobro uvežbanom pristupu.