Selective Attention to Dichotic Input of Retarded Children

Abstract

Two groups of retarded children (Down's Syndrome and nonDown's Syndrome retarded children, matched on MA and CA) were compared with a group of young (mean CA = 62 months) nonretarded children (matched on MA with the retarded children) on the ability to focus selectively to one or other ear during a dichotic listening task. All groups of children were able to focus on their nondominant ear to the extent that equal numbers of digits were reported from the left and the right channels. Given the complexity of the task and the immaturity of the children, the lack of a complete reversal in ear advantage under focussed attention is not surprising. However, the equivalent behaviour of the retarded children to that of the nonretarded children clarified the importance of cognitive processing for selective attention, by indicating that simple physiological maturation did not ensure the ability to focus on relevant material or the ability to resist distraction from unattended material.