Some determinants of affectionate behavior in young children
Date
1976
Authors
Pirot, Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This research is concerned with the determinants of affectionate behavior in young children, and is focused upon the uncovering of the means by which to increase positive social behavior (e.g. modelling of prosocial behavior), rather than being concerned with negative social behavior and the means by which to decelerate it (e.g. punishment and extinction with their potentially unfortunate social consequences).
In two experiments, the determinants of affectionate behavior in young children were explored. Experiment I was the study of the effects of modelling and instruction upon imitative, concurrent, and free-play affectionate behavior of young children towards a toy object (teddy bear). The experiment consisted of two phases: a modelled caretaking or an instructed caretaking training phase followed by a free-play phase during which generalization data were taken.
Three groups were set in Experiment I: a) an Imitative Caretaking group in which caretaking behavior was modelled, with assessment of imitative caretaking and concurrent affectionate behavior; b) an Instructed Caretaking group in which instructions to caretake were given, with assessment of instructed caretaking and concurrent affectionate behavior; and c) a Control group, which received no training. All three groups were assessed as regards free-play affectionate behavior and aggressive behavior in a single phase free- play period.
The results of Experiment I demonstrated t hat the Imitative Care taking group produced a mean imitation rate of 69% during training and t hat this training produced significantly more free-play affectionate behavior than did t he Instructed Caretaking and Control groups. The - ii Imitative Caretaking group also produced significantly more concurrent affectionate behavior than the Instructed Caretaking group. The Instructed Caretaking group did not produce significantly more free-play affectionate behavior than the Control group. There was some evidence that physical contact and imitative caretaking may have been the effective variables producing the free-play affectionate behavior of the Imitative Caretaking group. Consequently these factors were systematically varied in Experiment II in order that their effects upon free-play affectionate behavior could be assessed.
Experiment II was conducted to explore the effects of imitative caretaking, non-imitative caretaking, and imitative neutral physical contact upon free-play affectionate and concurrent affectionate behavior. The experiment consisted of two phases: a training phase followed by a free-play phase (consisting of two periods) during which generalization data were taken.
Three groups were set in Experiment II: a) an Imitative Caretaking group (replicate of a group of the same name in Experiment I); b) a Non-Imitative Caretaking group (modelled caretaking kept constant, but physical contact obviated); and c) an Imitative Neutral Physical Contact group (physical contact kept constant, but the caretaking context obviated).
The results of Experiment II demonstrated that (imitative) caretaking and physical contact produced in imitation in the Imitative Caretaking group interacted as variables in such a manner to produce significantly more free-play affectionate behavior relative to the Non-Imitative Care taking and Imitative Neutral Physical Contact groups.
The increased free-play and concurrent affectionate behavior demonstrated by the Imitative Caretaking group of Experiment I was replicated by a similar group in Experiment II. These results suggest that these phenomena are reliable. The magnitude of treatment effect for the Groups factor was significantly increased by Experiment II as compared to Experiment I and thus increased the percentage of variance accounted for. Also the variability of the Imitative Caretaking group of Experiment II was significantly decreased for the girls, but not for the boys. This suggests that greater experimental control was accomplished by requiring that the children in imitation groups in Experiment II produce 100% criterion imitation (which was not demanded in Experiment I where the imitation rate was free to vary, producing 69% for the Imitative Care taking group).
Experiments I and II showed nearly nil amounts of aggressive behavior during training and free-play, and as such, conclusions about this rate are tenuous.
Sex was not a significant factor in almost every analysis of both experiments, suggesting that for three- to five-year-old children these treatment effects are not sex-dependent.
The generalization data of both experiments were taken in a cue-minimal/model-absent context, and as such provided a stringent test of the ability of the treatments to generalize to the free-play period. The Imitative Caretaking group produced generalization effects, suggesting that the effects of this treatment may generalize across a variety of stimulus situations. Consequently the techniques created by these experiments may provide teachers and parents a reliable means by which - iv to increase positive social behavior.