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Differential Effects Of Praise Types, Ronald M. Kennedy

Student Work

Sixty-two male Caucasian undergraduate Psychology students were randomly divided into four treatment groups wherein they all performed an identical task under the direction of a "supervisor." The supervisor dispensed either non-evaluative verbal feedback, Structured Praise, Considerate Praise, or a combination of Structured and Considerate Praise to subjects in treatment conditions one through four respectively. Considerate praise is characterized as aperiodic, unlinked (to the giving of a formal performance appraisal), informal (not required by the "system"), spontaneous, generally unwritten, "from the heart" type praise while structured praise is essentially just the opposite.

The dependent variables of task quantity, task quality, task …

Developmental Changes In Cognition: An Evaluation Of A Philosophy For Children Program, Leendert Baggerman

Student Work

The formal operational stage seems to differ considerably from earlier Piagetian stages. The first three Piagetian cognitive stages seem to develop fully in all individuals, unless there is a major cultural difference or a major psychopathology (Bruner, 1966). In contrast, there is disagreement in the literature as to whether formal operational reasoning fully develops in all normal individuals. Both Dulit (1972) and Tomlinson-Keasey (1972) found evidence that some normal individuals never attain formal operational reasoning. Others however (Jackson, 1965; Lovell, 1961) agree with Piaget (Inhelder and Piaget, 1958) that the emergence of formal operational reasoning occurs invariably between 11 and …

Effectiveness Of Three Differential Reinforcement Techniques As A Function Of Past Reinforcement History And Present Schedule Of Reinforcement, La Rue Chappell

Student Work

The effectiveness of three differential reinforcement techniques, extinction of the old response with reinforcement for the new response versus extinction of the old response with double reinforcement for the new response versus continuation of reinforcement for the old response with double reinforcement for the new response, in reducing lever-pressing behavior, was studied, as a function of past reinforcement history and present schedule of reinforcement. Thirty children, with a mean age of 5 years 10 months, were reinforced for tapping the assigned key on either a differential reinforcement of low rates (drl 10"') or a differential reinforcement of high rates (VR …

The Relationship Of Verbal Abilities To Cognitive Complexity, Margaret R. Mullins

Student Work

A view of the person as an individual striving to anticipate, understand, and control his environment was put forth by Kelly (1955) in his Psychology of Personal Constructs, Kelly states that the person looks at the world through "patterns or templates which he creates and then attempts to fit over the realities of which the world is composed" (p. 9). These templates or patterns are termed constructs, and result from the person’s ability to distinguish differences and similarities in the world about him and generalize them to other instances. Constructs are used to predict events and to assess the validity …

Gender Constancy In 3 To 6 Year Old Children: A Methodological Analysis, Rhoda Andrews

Student Work

Previous research on gender constancy with 3- to 6-year old children has produced conflicting findings regarding the age at which children are gender constant. Slaby and Frey (1075), and Thompson and Bentler (1973) indicate the presence of gender constancy at age 4, while DeVries (1969) has found that gender constancy is not present until age 6. The aim of this study was to compare the three gender constancy measures using the same population of children. The subjects were 63 white, middle-class 3- to 6-year old children whose IQ's were 100 or greater. The data analyses generally supported' previous findings for …

Locus Of Control, Schedule Of Reinforcement, And The Attribution Of Freedom In The Reinforcing Agent, Mary Piechowski

Student Work

Attributions of freedom and the probability of ingratiating to another were assessed in terms of the unpredictability of the reinforcement schedule used by the other and the locus of control of the observer using videotapes. Internal subjects viewing.a situation involving either 0%, 10%, 50%, 90% or 100% reinforcement saw more freedom when less reinforcement occurred. In contrast, external subjects saw more freedom in the unpredictable situations (10%, 50%, 90%) but saw little difference between the 0% and; 100% situations. The effect of variations in reinforcement strategy was investigated in a broader context, as well, using sixteen bi-polar trait adjectives. Several …

Parent-Infant Interaction: Attachment, Differential Responsiveness And Directional Effects At 8 Months., Lee Wigert

Student Work

Mothers, fathers, and their 8-month old infants were observed at home in a study of the dyadic and triadic interaction processes. The subjects consisted of 20 white, middle- class first-born infants and their parents, whose interactive behaviors were observed in a series of three home visits. The observed infant behaviors of interest were vocalizing, looking, smiling, touching, reaching, 3" proximity, laughing, and crying to the parent, as well as responding to the observer. Infants were tested for proximity seeking and selective responding to ascertain level of attachment. Recorded parental behaviors directed at the infant consisted of vocalizing, looking, smiling, holding, …