Date of Award

1989

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the social-emotional functioning of Learning Disabled (LD) children and adolescents and (b) to describe the relationship between social-emotional functioning and reading ability of LD. Thirty subjects aged 9 to 16 years who qualified for a LD placement were administered the Rorschach Ink Blot test, using Exner's scoring system, and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. Exner's normative group was used as a comparison group to determine if the LD's Rorschach scores were substantially different from a non-Learning Disabled (NLD) group. Correlations were calculated between Rorschach scores and scores of the Woodcock Reading Mastery tests to determine if there is a significant relationship between social-emotional functioning and reading ability of the LD. No significant correlations which could be attributed to social-emotional functioning and reading ability were found; however, this relationship was not ruled out. The study did find that the Rorschach scores of the LD subjects were substantially different from Exner's normative group. Additionally, Common Factors, which were attributed to the learning disability, and Unique factors, which were attributed to individual personality styles, were found. The following conclusions regarding the social-emotional functioning of LD were supported: (a) the perceptions of LD are less accurate than NLD; (b) LD are more constricted than NLD; (c) LD have a poorer regard for themselves than NLD; (d) LD tend to process the visual stimulus field less fully than NLD; (e) LD are more prone to use inner life for their basic gratification than NLD; and (f) LD's aspirations tend to exceed functioning. The implications of these conclusions were discussed in light of research reviewed regarding the social-emotional functioning of LD and in light of a theoretical model, The Learning Therapy Model.

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