Les capacités de transfert en situation d'apprentissage implicite chez des préadolescents présentant un retard mental

This study investigates the transfer issue in implicit learning in pre-adolescents with mental retardation (MR), matched with normally developing children. A simple task is used to assess the transfer of a graphic behavior learned implicitly. The results show that the behavioral modifications induced by implicit learning can be transferred to a new graphic figure, in similar proportions in same mental age (MA) participants with and without MR. This transfer effect is independent on the degree of MR. The results are discussed with respect to the robustness of implicit learning (Reber, 1989), and to the “transfer decrement” phenomena. We also discuss how this type of learning can be used for the benefit of MR persons.