Behavior and Achievement of Cleft Palate Children

Abstract

Although previous research has attempted to identify unique personality characteristics of children with cleft lip and/or palate, results have been inconsistent. The evidence from most studies utilizing structured personality tests and objectively scored projective techniques supports the contention that children with cleft lip and/or palate do not display significant emotional maladjustment (7, 2, 3, 77, 74, 75, 76, 27, 23). However, there is some evidence, based on studies using a variety of behavioral observations, projective techniques and clinical impressions, that cleft children do demonstrate certain unique characteristics including increased bodily tension (20), extrapunitive needs (5), adjustment difficulties (7), and reduced creativity (77). One possible explanation for the conflicting conclusions based on projective techniques and clinical impressions is the variance resulting from different examiners' interpretations. This allows advocates of different personality theories to " discover " characteristics consistent with their own theories. An additional factor which may contribute to the conflicting evidence is the failure of many investigators to use control groups to provide normative data from which to draw conclusions regarding possible personality deviations. Although data from standard personality tests and objectively scored projec-tive techniques yields mainly nonsignificant results, these results are tempered by the methodological problems inherent in personality research efforts. One criticism of many personality tests is that they may not be sensitive to behavior characteristics exhibited by individuals in day-today situations. Does the general failure to document a " cleft-palate personality " (4) mean that further efforts to investigate psychological and behavioral variables of cleft palate individuals are doomed to failure? While previous research efforts fail to demonstrate significant psychopathology within cleft groups, few empirical studies have attempted to describe more " normal " behavioral variants of cleft children. Most previous personality investigations of cleft children have utilized instruments which were originally designed to discriminate " normal " from " abnormal " personality characteristics. While it has been documented that cleft children, as a group, do not display significant psychopathology, this does not