Expectations, Task Persistence, and Attributions in Children with Mental Retardation During Integrated Physical Education

Abstract

The purpose was to study expectations, persistence, and posttask attributions in 33 children (ages 9 to 15 years) with mental retardation (MR) and 40 children (ages 10 to 13 years) without disabilities during integrated physical education classes. Each of the participants (34 male and 39 females) viewed a video of another child successfully completing a game, responded to a question about expectations, and engaged in this same game alongside a peer. Results indicated that expectations did not differ between children with and without MR, χ2(1) = .35, p > .05. Following each child’s request to stop playing, a video of individual performance was displayed and an interview was conducted to determine posttask attributions. Learners with MR were less persistent than peers without disabilities, F(1, 68) = 4.60, p < .5, η2 = .06. Although less persistent, children with MR did not differ on posttask attributions from peers without disabilities, χ2(2) = 3.64, p > .05; χ2(2) = 1.74, p > .05.