| Abstrakt: |
The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a computer software program, Toney Listens to Music, as an assessment tool with mentally retarded children and adolescents. Melodic and rhythmic discrimination skills presented in four levels of Toney were administered to 45 subjects. A significant difference was found among treatment conditions: Easy Melody/Difficult Melody (p < .0003); and Easy Rhythm/Difficult Rhythm (p < .05). Separate analysis of each level yielded a mean score, standard deviation, reliability coefficient with corresponding standard error, frequency distribution, and item difficulty and item discrimination indices with individual item response distributions. Despite low reliability coefficients for three of the four levels, some information regarding subjects' discrimination of melodic and rhythmic material was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
