Impact of institutional experience on the behavior and development of retarded persons.

A program of research on the effects of institutional experience on retarded persons was described. The importance of such research for theory construction, use by clinicians, and construction of social policy was discussed, as was the value of both longitudinal and cross-institutional studies. We stressed that any comprehensive understanding of the effects of institutional experience requires a consideration of: (a) the characteristics of the retarded person, (b) his preinstitutional life experience, (c) the nature of the institution, and (d) a range of criterion behavior on the part of the resident.