Integrating severely adaptive handicapped seventh-grade students into constructive relationships with nonhandicapped peers in science class.

The effects of cooperative and individualistic learning experiences were compared on interactions and relationships between severely adaptive handicapped (not adapting to regular classroom demands) and nonhandicapped seventh-grade students in science classes. We investigated the predictions that (a) requiring cooperation between the two groups of students would result in increased rejection of the severely adaptive handicapped students and (b) cooperation would promote increased interpersonal attraction regardless of the heterogeneity of the students. Forty-eight suburban junior-high-school, seventh-grade students (41 nonhandicapped, 9 severely adaptive handicapped) were assigned to conditions on a stratified random basis controlling for handicap, sex, and ability level. They participated in the study for 10 days, 55 minutes per day. Results indicated that cooperative learning procedures, compared with individualistic ones, promoted more interaction and interpersonal attraction between severely adaptive handicapped and nonhandicapped students.