SOCIAL ECOLOGY OF SUPERVISED COMMUNAL FACILITIES FOR MENTALLY-DISABLED ADULTS .3. PREDICTORS OF SOCIAL CHOICE

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 85  (3) , 243-252
Abstract
The social behavior of mentally disabled clients in community facilities was examined. Social choice for various cognitive and physical characteristics and for exposure to others was investigated in 5 settings. Preferences were inferred from observed affiliation, self reports and staff judgments. Clients tended to prefer peers to whom they had more exposure, same-sex peers and peers of similar attractiveness. Opposite-sex relationships were also common and were stronger for women. Neither similarity nor complementarity choice was obtained for age or the desire for affiliation; retarded clients tended to be segregated from mentally ill clients. Although clients tended to name friends of similar intellect, a form of limited complementarity appeared to govern observed affiliation preferences in that clients preferred to associate with peers who were somewhat different in IQ. Apparently clients of relatively moderate intelligence are critical to the social integration of a setting, since they are most likely to form relationships with clients of both higher and lower intelligence. The implications of these results for the sociability of a setting were discussed.

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