ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1, the topic of mental retardation was introduced with emphasis on its cognitive side—that is, the nature of the intellectual disability and its effect on general adjustment. Our direction now shifts to the affective or emotional side as we look at the person with retardation as an “individual” who, like ourselves, can be understood in terms of the experiences that produce happiness or unhappiness. A study of formerly institutionalized adults now living in the community (Edgerton & Bercovici, 1976) revealed that their primary interest was, not surprisingly, “enjoying life.” For some, work had declined in importance, but there was widespread desire for recreation, hobbies, good times, friends, and family. These desires echo our own and speak to the nature of the human condition—of what it means to be a person. Our portrayal of the personality of the individual who is mentally retarded is conveyed through a model that describes the basic physical and psychological needs of all of us, nondisabled as well as disabled, and examines how the gratification of these needs is affected by the disability. Borrowing from the works of personality theorists particularly interested in the self and human motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1991; Epstein, 1973; Maslow, 1954), the personality model gives special attention to self-esteem as a motivator of behavior. This chapter offers a “need-driven” personality model and a discussion of how these needs are affected by mental retardation.
