The purpose of this study was to introduce a testing procedure that could be used to determine the optimal response modes of learning disabled children on a standardized diagnostic test such as the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception (FDTVP). Learning disabled children with below average scores on the FDTVP were presented items previously missed on this test using one of three different methods of task presentation, i.e., covert, vocal, and visual-manual response-eliciting strategies. At the end of the instruction phase, a posttest was administered. Analysis of pretest and posttest scores indicated that for each learning disabled child there was a single method of task presentation that was most effective in eliminating errors. This outcome was operationally defined as the learning disabled child's optimal response mode. Each child was then shown an eight-item paired-associate task using a method of task presentation that was either similar to or different from the testing condition that generated the optimal response mode. It was found that the learning disabled children in the matched condition recalled significantly more paired-associate items than those in the unmatched condition, which suggests that the method of task presentation may determine the expression of the learning disability deficit on an academic task. The importance of these results in clarifying the behavioral basis of the learning disability deficit is discussed within the context of the diagnosis and remediation of educational handicaps.

The purpose of this study was to assess the complex learning skills of normal and septal rats using Rumbaugh's discrimination-reversal task. Transfer Index testing was carried out by using the automated test apparatus, stimulus items, and procedure described by Rumbaugh, et al. in 1972. Even though there were no significant differences between normal and septal rats, all rodents tested showed above chance performance on the transfer index task ( M = .82, range was .67 to .92). An analysis of errors in reversal indicated that the rats had more errors involving a single wrong response and fewer strings of consecutive errors. Also, the occurrence of “win-stay” and “lose-shift” response strategies for the four rats with the highest percentages correct on the second reversal trial (High Group) were compared with those of the four rats who had the lowest percentages correct on the second reversal trial (Low Group). The animals in the High Group demonstrated both “win-stay” and “lose-shift” response strategies, while those rats in the Low Group showed only a “lose-stay” response strategy. The rodents in the Low and High groups did not differ from each other in the use of a “win-shift” response strategy. These results suggest that rats can use rule or association learning to solve discrimination-reversal problems.

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To determine optimal and least effective response modes of learning disabled children, the procedure described by Owen, Braggio, and Ellen (1976) and the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities were used. On the basis of pretest and posttest comparisons on selected subtests, the performance of these children could be described as individual or multiple combinations of covert-, vocal-, or visual/manual-response modes. This learning style analysis was validated by presenting a paired-associate task to the children using an administration similar to (matched condition) or different from (unmatched condition) the child's optimal response mode. More items were recalled under the matched condition than under the unmatched condition. Also, the children with multiple response modes recalled more items than the learning disabled children with single optimal response modes. These results suggest that disabled children may do poorly on academic tasks because they may not have enough optimal response modes, or are unable to select the most appropriate mode of responding as required by a task. The use of optimal response modes as an aid in the diagnosis and remediation of educational handicaps is discussed.