We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
MEASURING AND INCREASING THE HAPPINESS OF PEOPLE WITH PROFOUND MENTAL RETARDATION AND PHYSICAL HANDICAPS.
- Authors
Favell, James E.; Realon, Rodney E.; Sutton, Kelly A.
- Abstract
Applied research in mental retardation has focused on skill training and education to the relative neglect of measuring and increasing happiness in the lives of people with mental retardation. Here we report the results of four preliminary studies that were conducted to develop and demonstrate methodologies for measuring happiness in people with profound mental retardation and other severe handicaps. These results suggest that: (!) facial expressions can provide a valid measure of happiness, and can be measured reliably by relatively untrained observers: (2) the rate of spontaneous smiling is highly variable across individuals; (3) some individuals' happiness can be increased dramatically by very simple social interactions; and (4) clients" differential emotional reactions to various caregivers may be useful in tracking the development of social relationships. Suggestions for future research include systematic replication of these preliminary findings with a larger number and variety of subjects, and demonstration of how these measures can be applied to quality assurance systems.
- Subjects
INTELLECTUAL disabilities; HAPPINESS; DEVELOPMENTAL disabilities; EMOTIONS; PATHOLOGICAL psychology; SOCIAL interaction; BEHAVIOR therapy; DISABILITIES; DISEASES; PSYCHOLOGY; WOUNDS &; injuries
- Publication
Behavioral Interventions, 1996, Vol 11, Issue 1, p47
- ISSN
1072-0847
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/(SICI)1099-078X(199601)11:1<47::AID-BRT146>3.0.CO;2-P