Interpersonal relationships and self-image in adolescents with mild mental retardation

Abstract

Relevance. Adolescents with mild mental retardation experience difficulties in establishing stable emotional contacts with others. In this connection it seems relevant to study the personality traits and interpersonal relationships of such adolescents. The study aimed to identify the specifics of their self-image and interpersonal relationships and to develop a communication training program. Materials and Methods. The study involved 18 adolescents with mild mental retardation form a specialized school and 25 adolescents from a comprehensive school. The research methodology included an interview; a Dembo-Rubinstein test adapted by A. M. Prikhozhan; test by Rene Gille; and Unfinished Sentences by V. V. Kisova and I. A. Koneva. Results. Healthy teenagers were found to have significantly higher scores on such scales as intelligence, sociability and self-confidence (‘Real Self’ of self-image). It can be assumed that adolescents with mild mental retardation evaluate themselves lower giving more attention to social assessment than their healthy peers. At the same time, no differences were found for such indicators as kindness, health, beauty, and popularity. When comparing the level of self-image of ‘Ideal Self’, adolescents with mental retardation showed significantly higher expectations on the health scale. Unfinished Sentences returned the lowest scores for the ‘selfassessment’ criterion in both groups of adolescents, which can be interpreted as self-doubt typical for this age. The Rene Gille’s test showed high scores on the scale ‘striving for social normativity’ in adolescents with mild mental retardation. This indicates an orientation toward socially approved behavior formed in a specialized school. At the same time, orientation toward normativity can neutralize adolescent’s personality traits and limit self-knowledge. Based on the results of the study, we propose a psychological training program aimed at developing self-reflection and predictive assessment of people’s behavior in difficult situations.