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Fifteen children (mean age 10 years) who were defined as learning disabled (LD) by school authorities and were enrolled in special LD classrooms were matched with 15 children from regular school classrooms on the basis of sex, chronological age, and mental age. Each child performed individually in a two-hour reaction time (RT) session, during which four different RT tasks were administered. All children received the following tasks, ordered as listed: Simple RT (100 trials), Selective RT (100 trials), Choice RT (100 trials), and Search RT (100 trials with one digit in the memory set, 100 trials with memory-set size of 3, and 100 trials of memory-set size of 5). For Simple RT, subjects pulled a reaction trigger with their dominant hand following the symbol []; for Selective RT, the symbol [ or ] was presented and subjects pulled the dominant-hand trigger to [; and for Choice RT, subjects pulled the dominant-hand trigger to [_] and the nondominant-hand trigger to I-I. Prior to each block of 100 trials during the Search RT task certain digits were defined as critical memory-set items (i.e., 1 for Set-Size 1; 0, 2 and 5 for Set-Size 3; and 1, 3, 6, 8 and 9 for Set-Size 5); and the child was requested to pull the dominant-hand trigger if the stimulus presentation was included in the memory set and to pull the nondominant-hand trigger for stimuli not included in the memory set. For each task the stimulus presentation was preceded by a "ready" buzzer and then a random interval ranging from .5 to 1.5 sec. The RTs were equivalent between groups for the Simple RT task, but were significantly slower for the LD children during the Selective, Choice, and Search RT tasks. The between-group, RT difference was maximum for the Selective RT task, and therefore an application of Donders' Subtractive Model reflected that stimulus encoding was the only cognitive dysfunction among the LD children. Furthermore, the functions relating Search RT to Memory-Set Size demonstrated equivalent memory search rates for the normal and LD children. Such findings suggest that RT may be used to diagnose particular cognitive deficiencies or to demonstrate particular facilitative effects of cognitive-remediation programs. The finding that consecutive blocks of 25 trials did not interact with the latencies in any RT task, suggests that individual sessions to obtain diagnostic RT can be as short as 15 minutes (i.e., 25 trials per RT task). The present RT results are discussed with reference to other RT studies that compared reaction latencies between normal and abnormal subjects. / Ed. D.

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Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Family resilience refers to the family’s ability to overcome adversity using inherent and/or acquired strengths and resources. The aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to the successful adaptation, or resilience, of families following the birth or diagnosis of a child with a developmental disability. The study is based on the theoretical frameworks of family resilience proposed by McCubbin and McCubbin (1996) and Walsh (2003), namely the Family Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation and the Family Resilience Framework. The study population in this study comprised 40 families with a child with a developmental disability living in the Boland region of the Western Cape. One parent from each family was asked to complete a number of quantitative measuring instruments and answer an open-ended question aimed at identifying the strengths and resources contributing to the family’s adaptation. Quantitative data was analysed through analyses of variance, Pearson product-moment correlations and a multiple regression analysis. The qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. These analyses revealed that an acceptance of the situation, positive patterns of family communication, commitment and support within the family unit, and a positive attitude with regard to new experiences and challenges facilitate family adaptation and resilience, while negative patterns of communication within the family were found to be inversely related to family adaptation. An inverse association was also found between age of the child with a disability and family adaptation. These findings suggest some possible avenues of intervention by which the adaptation of families with a child with a developmental disability in South Africa can be facilitated or supported. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gesinsveerkragtigheid verwys na die gesin se vermoë om terugslae en teenspoed te oorkom deur die gebruik van bestaande en aangeleerde sterktes en hulpbronne. Die doel van die huidige studie was om kwaliteite te identifiseer wat tot die aanpassing, en dus veerkragtigheid, van gesinne met ‘n kind met ‘n ontwikkelingsgestremdheid bydra. Die studie is gebaseer op die teoretiese raamwerke wat deur McCubbin en McCubbin (1996) en Walsh (2003) voorgestel is, naamlik die Family Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation en die Family Resilience Framework. Veertig gesinne van ‘n kind met ‘n ontwikkelingsgestremdheid wat in die Bolandgebied in die Wes-Kaap bly, het aan die studie deelgeneem. ‘n Reeks kwantitatiewe vraelyste en ‘n oopeinde-vraag is deur een ouer van elke gesin voltooi. Hierdie vraelyste en oopeinde-vraag was gerig op die identifisering van sterktes en hulpbronne wat tot die suksesvolle aanpassing van die gesin bydra. Die kwantitatiewe data is ontleed deur gebruik te maak van variansieontleding, die berekening van Pearson-produkmomentkorrelasies en meerregressie-ontledings. Die kwalitatiewe data is ontleed deur gebruik te maak van tematiese inhoudsontleding. Die kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe ontledings het getoon dat aanvaarding van die situasie, positiewe kommunikasie tussen gesinslede, toegewydheid tot die gesin, gesinseenheid en ‘n positiewe houding om krisisse as `n uitdaging te beskou, belangrike veerkragtigheidskwaliteite is, terwyl negatiewe en opruiende kommunikasie in die gesin omgekeerd met aanpassing verband hou. ‘n Omgekeerde verband is ook gevind tussen gesinsaanpassing en die ouderdom van die kind met ‘n gestremdheid. Hierdie bevindings kan bydra tot die ontwikkeling van ingrypingsprogramme waardeur die aanpassing van Suid-Afrikaanse gesinne met ‘n kind met ‘n gestremdheid gefasiliteer en ondersteun kan word.