Perceptions of God among Persons with Mental Retardation: A Research Note

Perceptions of God were measured among persons with mental retardation. The levels of retardation of these individuals ranged from mild to profound. Measurement of God concept involved asking participants to select pictures that reminded them of God. The pictures had been pretested with Catholic and Protestant individuals who ranged in cognitive development from preoperational to formal operational thinking. Analyses suggested that moderately retarded persons selected more pictures than mildly or severely/profoundly retarded persons. Also, as the level of retardation went from mild to profound, the discrepancy in popularity between preoperational and formal operational pictures increased. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.