This study investigated the differential facilitative effects of single and consistent/inconsistent multiple models on children's donating behavior. One hundred and twenty eight students from four schools participated in the investigation which exposed the subjects to one of eight video taped modeling conditions (comprised of donating and/or non-donating models) in which the subjects observed generous and/or selfish behavior by the model(s). Subjects then played a game with the experimenter in which they earned chips. The immediate modeling effects were measured by the number of chips that the subjects donated to other children when given such an opportunity. Retention of such modeling effects was assessed in a follow-up measure where the children again played a game, earned chips, and had the opportunity to anonymously donate any or all of their chips The results of this investigation more closely approximate the results predicted by Bandura's social learning theory (the amalgam effect of multiple models) than previous studies. Subjects viewing single and multiple consistently donating models donated at significantly greater levels than did all other conditions. Subjects viewing single and multiple consistently non-donating models donated significantly less amounts than did all other conditions. The obtained order of the multiple inconsistent conditions supports Bandura's (1969, 1972) theory in that it appears that when multiple inconsistent models were observed, the response produced was an amalgam of the behaviors of the divergent models. That is, the subjects did not directly imitate either one or the other of the models, but instead produced a response that was the result of combinations of the observed behavior Therefore, this investigation lends further support to the theory that models serve to influence learning through their informative function. Results are further discussed in terms of how future investigations could attempt to answer questions raised in this study / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_25501 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Contributors | Shookman, Cheryl Ruth (Author), Wilson, C. Chrisman (Thesis advisor) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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