Use of verbal correction procedures with severely mentally retarded individuals: aptitude-treatment interaction?

The effects of verbal corrections on vocational training of severely mentally retarded individuals have not been clear because of lack of measures that are sensitive to differences in such persons' receptive-language skills. Using the verbal subscale of the Trainee Performance Sample, we identified trainees of high and low receptive-language skills. They were then randomly assigned to training conditions involving specific and nonspecific verbal corrections from experienced trainers. Results demonstrated that specific verbal corrections enhanced acquisition by learners with higher receptive-language skills but did not do so for learners with lower receptive-language skills. Implications of such an aptitude-treatment interaction were discussed.