Effects of Sensory Mode Input on the Performance of Rhythmic Perception Tasks by Mentally Retarded Subjects.

Thirty mildly mentally retarded subjects were asked to duplicate rhythm patterns when presented via tactile, auditory, auditory-visual, and auditory-visual-tactile conditions. Subjects were grouped according to classroom assignments: Primary, ages 6-8; Intermediate, ages 9-12; and Adolescent, ages 13-18. An analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for sensory condition (p < .0001) and a significant interaction effect (p < .02). Scheffé post hoc analyses revealed that all groups scored significantly lower on the tactile tasks, and that the primary group scored significantly lower than the other two groups on the tactile tasks only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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