Topic
The topic of the study is the imitative effects of consistent and inconsistent response results from a model of children’s aggressive behavior.
Summary
64 young students from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota’s nursery school and special art classes served as the subjects. With an equivalent amount of boys and girls in each of the two age groups, the kids were split into two. Children between 36 and 58 months of age made up the younger age group, while those between 60 and 71 months made up the older age group (Rosekrans & Hartup, 1967). In one of four treatment scenarios, each age group was apportioned randomly. A total of four males and four girls made up each subgroup.
This study aimed to ascertain the effects of inconsistent reinforcement of a social model on children’s imitative violence. 64 kids, aged 36 months to 71 months, worked as Ss (Rosekrans & Hartup, 1967). It was discovered that Ss subjected to inconsistent reinforcement exhibited greater imitative aggression than Ss exposed to consistent reinforcement, but less imitative aggression than Ss treated to constant punishment. There were no differences between Ss who observed an inconsistently reinforced model and those who did not.
Study Conclusions
The results were interpreted by the additive effects of vicarious reward and punishment. Also, it was found that the reaction consequences to the model impacted younger Ss’ nonimitative aggression performance but had no impact on older Ss (Rosekrans & Hartup, 1967). These findings’ implications signify that the degree to which vicarious reinforcement effects generalize across social activities across molar response classes varies with age.
My Opinion
The research on imitative influences of consistent and inconsistent response consequences to a model on aggressive behavior in children provides valuable insight into the fundamental scientific question of how behavior is learned and changed (Chaibi et al., 2023). This research can potentially provide useful applications of knowledge to practical problems, such as how to address aggressive behavior in children best. By understanding the role of imitation and response consequences in developing and reinforcing aggressive behavior, parents and educators can develop more effective strategies to manage this behavior (Inoff-Germain et al., 1988). The findings of this research can also be used to inform public policy initiatives aimed at reducing aggression in children.
References
Chaibi, I., Bouchatta, O., Bennis, M., & Ba-M’hamed, S. (2023). The role of the anterior cingulate cortex in aggression and impulsivity. Behavioral Neuroscience. Web.
Inoff-Germain, G., Arnold, G. S., Nottelmann, E. D., Susman, E. J., Cutler, G. B., Jr., & Chrousos, G. P. (1988). Relations between hormone levels and observational measures of aggressive behavior of young adolescents in family interactions. Developmental Psychology, 24(1), 129–139. Web.
Rosekrans, M. A., & Hartup, W. W. (1967). Imitative influences of consistent and inconsistent response consequences to a model on aggressive behavior in children. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 7(4, Pt.1), 429–434. Web.