Processi cognitivi indagati attraverso il paradigma del transfer di mediazione implicita in soggetti con grave ritardo mentale

Many cognitive processes can be studied through the experimental paradigms of the mediation transference. In the paradigm of the implicit mediation transference the subjects, after two A-B, B-C trainings are asked to find an object seen before among many others. An adequate performance might show the formation of mediative chains. The present research investigates how severely retarded subjects can perform implicit mediation transference. In a split-plot design, 56 subjects of two mental levels were randomly divided in two experimental groups and one control group. In the first two experimental phases the subjects were presented two sets of couples of objects. In the test phase they were shown new items with the ones of the first set. The subjects had to recognize the ones seen before. The results show that normal children can perform the mediation process being aware of the role of the mediative item. The retarded children perform the mediation only when the items to be associated are in a clear sequence.