The Effect of Visual Distraction on Perception in Subjects of Subnormal Intelligence

Distractibility is a term often used in clinical psychology though its meaning is ill‐defined and little is known about the conditions under which it occurs. A visual distraction task was given to 40 subjects of below average intelligence. A number of hypotheses related to brain damage, early environment and intelligence were investigated. Brain damage and low intelligence were not found to be associated with a high incidence of distractibility though early, and possibily long, institutionalization appeared to be important variables. The results are discussed in relation to recent work on deprivation. 1964 The British Psychological Society