Modeling influences on senior citizens
| dc.contributor.author | Lustig, Stephen David | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Acker, Loren E. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-07-04T20:12:24Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-07-04T20:12:24Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1978 | |
| dc.degree.department | Department of Psychology | |
| dc.description.abstract | Modeling influences on senior citizens were investigated in three experiments. Videotaped models were portrayed playing a game of skill in order to assess their effect upon senior citizens playing the same game. The task developed resembled a bowling game, but required the subjects to move back from a centre line before trying to hit the target. The distances that subjects chose in correspondence to where the models moved were the indication of modeling effects. Experiment I compared the effects of a Peer Model with a no model Control. Subjects exposed to the Peer Model moved significantly further from the target than did Control subjects, providing an indication of modeling influences. Experiment II was a systematic replication of Experiment I that was designed to compare influences that result from exposure to various aged models. The models, all male, approximated generational differences (Child, Adult, Peer), and were all portrayed playing the game of skill used in Experiment I. Each of the models moved the same distance from the target, demonstrated identical behaviours in playing the game, and were equally successful in their attempts. Exposure to each of the videotaped models significantly increased the distances from the target that senior citizens moved compared with the Control Group subjects. The similarity between the means obtained in Experiments I and II for both the Peer Model and Control Groups suggested that these data were reliable and, together with the influence of other aged models, extended the generality of modeling influences obtained in Experiment I. Subjects were fairly accurate in estimating the ages "of the models observed, suggesting that they were discriminating that aspect of the independent variable in which the experimenter was interested. Child Model subjects tended to move furthest from the target, yet reported less influence compared to subjects in other modeling conditions. Verbal ratings of influence appeared to bear little relationship to the behavioural influence demonstrated. In Experiment III, senior citizens were asked to complete a questionnaire after viewing one of the videotapes (Child, Adult, or Peer), but did not try the task depicted. Experiment III sought to evaluate some of the attitudes that senior citizens would have toward aspects of the videotaped models presented in Experiments I and II. Subjects' ratings yielded no significant differences among models with respect to which one the subjects might feel best able to compete against. Each model was judged to be equally competent at the task, while generalized perceptions of competency for each age group led to adults being rated as most competent. The task itself was seen as being significantly more like an adult's game than a child's. The subjects' predictions of how far back they would move as a result of exposure to each videotaped model produced considerably more similarity between conditions than actually arose when subjects (in Experiment II) behaviourally demonstrated the influence of models. Speculations of the subjects regarding the findings of Experiment II appeared to produce some consensus. The influence of the Child Model was accounted for in terms of "if he can do it, so can I ", while the denial of his influence was justified by demeaning his ability ("he's too inexperienced"). | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/22466 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | |
| dc.title | Modeling influences on senior citizens | |
| dc.type | Thesis |