EFFECTIVENESS OF A SEQUENTIAL HIERARCHICA L TRAINING-PROGRAM AND GENERALIZATION AND TRANSFERENCE OF ACQUISITIONS IN MENTAL RETARDED SUBJECTS

This study tests the efficiency of a training method based on cummulat ive, and hyerarchically organized patterns, against the more tradition al strategy that involves selecting intervention goals according to fu nctioning areas generated by rational criteria. Making use of the dime nsions of adaptive behavior obtained in earlier studies (Rubio, 1987, 1988) two groups of mental retardation subjects were measured as to th eir pre- and post- training. One group was submitted to pattern-based training, and the other underwent traditional training. The results sh ow, on the one hand, that both trainings produce gains in adaptive beh avior and, on the other a superiority of the former group. Thus, it wa s shown the existence of an adaptive behavior organization in which so me behaviors are established as prerequisite for others, and a natural learning of the latter is facilitated to the extent that the former a re trained. These results support the existence of a useful strategy f or decisions-making in the training of adaptive habilities in mental r etardation people, maximizing efficiency and facilitating generalizati on.