Mervis C B, Cardoso-Martins C
Am J Ment Defic. 1984 Jul;89(1):99-102.
Gibson (1978) has suggested that the transition from Sensorimotor Stage 5 to Stage 6 (i.e., the change from exclusive dependence on overt forms of representation and trial-and-error problem-solving to the beginning of internal representation and foresight in problem-solving) is particularly difficult for Down syndrome children. In order to test this "developmental wall" hypothesis, we compared longitudinally the performance of Down syndrome and nonretarded children on the Uzgiris and Hunt (1975) Object Permanence and Means-Ends Relations Scales. Results indicated that in contrast to Gibson's suggestion, the Down syndrome children progressed from Sensorimotor Stage 5 to Stage 6 at the same rate that nonretarded children did, once the generally slower developmental pace of the Down syndrome children was taken into account.
吉布森（1978年）提出，从感觉运动阶段5过渡到阶段6（即从完全依赖公开的表征形式和试错式问题解决转变为问题解决中内部表征和预见的开始）对唐氏综合征儿童来说尤其困难。为了检验这一“发展障碍”假说，我们纵向比较了唐氏综合征儿童和非智力发育迟缓儿童在乌兹吉里斯和亨特（1975年）客体永久性及手段-目的关系量表上的表现。结果表明，与吉布森的观点相反，一旦考虑到唐氏综合征儿童总体上较慢的发育速度，他们从感觉运动阶段5发展到阶段6的速度与非智力发育迟缓儿童相同。
