Search

Systematic observations and ratings by self and others were part of an ethnographic approach to studying the self-concept of 48 severely to mildly mentally retarded adults in a sheltered workshop setting. Ss completed both the Self-Esteem Inventory for Adults and "The Way I Feel About Myself" Self-Concept Scale. Rehabilitation counselors completed behavior rating forms, and Ss were observed during work performance and social interactions. Factor analysis and ethnographic observations identified four groups: elite (who have positive self-concept and maintenance of self-esteem through social conformity); socialites (who frequently use self-aggrandizement to present a highly positive self, which is unstable and vulnerable); loners (who have accurate and balanced self-concept sustained through self-esteem maintenance strategies based largely on independent judgment); and nonconformers (who are unhappy and lonely, with negative self-concepts and ineffective esteem-building strategies). However, self-report and staff ratings were only weakly related to observed behavior. Results further revealed that the domains represented in self-report and staff rating measures did not reflect Ss' major concerns. (CL)

Retrospective accounts of the nature of adolescence as experienced by mildly handicapped individuals were gathered through indepth conversations and interviews over an 18 month period with 48 mildly retarded adults (ages 22 to 60) living independently in the community. Structured life history interviews were also conducted with parents or other close family members of 37 of the 46 subjects. Questions focused on the impact of the handicapped child on the family and the child's developmental history, including behavioral characteristics during the teen years. For 85% of Ss, adolescence was seen as a time of acute stress in the two primary areas of parent/child relations and identity issues. Serious behavior problems were reported for 61% of Ss. The following contributing factors to a high incidence of emotional problems were reported: (1) absence of normative expectations by parents; (2) lack of a peer support network; and (3) adolescent emotional over-responsiveness, linked to a deficit in the socialization of emotionality. Consistent relationships between patterns of parenting behavior and the symptomatic behavior of the retarded adolescent were noted. (JW)