| Summary: | Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities who display aggression appear to be vulnerable to aversive social interactions. This may lead some to develop a negative self view which, in turn, can reduce their ability to take benefit from praise. Exposure to aversive social experiences may also lead some adults to become sensitive to forms of criticism. An underlying sensitivity to criticism and a reduced ability to take benefit from positive interaction have both been associated with psychological distress. The clinical field is unclear how adults with intellectual disabilities who display aggression perceive and experience criticism and praise. Method: Adults with intellectual disabilities were recruited into two study groups; one that displayed aggression, one that did not. A Praise and Criticism Task was developed for the study. Participants were presented with 10 hypothetical scenarios and were asked to imagine someone saying something negative (criticism) or positive (praise). After the presentation of each scenario, participants were asked about their thoughts, emotions and beliefs. Results: In contrast to their peers, participants who displayed aggression were not more likely to accept, believe or be distressed by criticism. They tended to believe and experience positive affect in response to praise. Conclusion: Adults with intellectual disabilities may not always have an underlying tendency to misinterpret or misunderstand forms of social interaction. Those who display aggression can benefit from praise and do not appear to be sensitive to criticism. Caution is perhaps warranted before generically applying cognitive theories of aggression in this population.
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