Kelley's attribution theory is investigated. Subjects filled out a questionnaire that reported 16 different responses ostensibly made by other people. These responses represented four verb categories-emotions, accomplishments, opinions, and actions-and, for experimental subjects, each was accompanied by high or low consensus information, high or low distinctiveness information, and high or low consistency information. Control subjects were not given any information regarding the response. All subjects were asked to attribute each response to characteristics of the person (i.e., the actor), the stimulus, the circumstances, or to some combination of these three factors. In addition, the subjects' expectancies for future response and stimulus generalization on the part of the actor were measured. The three information variables and verb category each had a significant effect on causal attribution and on expectancy for behavioral generalization.
Freedman and Eraser's (1966) suggestion that self-percept may affect the likelihood that individuals will act on an attitude was investigated. The probability of subjects' complying with Experimenter 2's request to distribute anti-air-pollution leaflets was assessed following Experimenter 1's manipulation of high or low payment ($1.50 or $10) and feedback to subjects indicating they (a) had a "doer" personality which entitled them to this payment (doer self-percept-inequity) ; (6) had a "doer" personality, but were entitled to this payment because of their performance on an experimental task (doer self-percept-no inequity); or (c) were entitled to this payment because of their task performance (no doer self-percept-no inequity). The probability of compliance was greater for high-than low-payment subjects (p < .05), and greater for subjects who were told that payment was contingent upon their personality than for those in other feedback conditions (p < .01). Although both inequity motivation and the self-percept manipulation were necessary to increase the likelihood of subjects' acting on an attitude, the present results are consistent with Freedman and Eraser's suggestion. They also tend to support some inequity theory assumptions employed in the experimental manipulations.
The joint effect of (a) level of satiation with social stimuli (relative satiation) and (b) attitude of the child toward the reinforcing agent (valence) on social reinforcer effectiveness was investigated. The experiment was conducted in two parts. In Session 1, the valence manipulation, which consisted in showing subjects a film that depicted Experimenter 1 as nice or mean, was performed by Experimenter 1. In Session 2, 3 days later, the relative satiation manipulation was performed by Experimenter 2. The criterion task, administered by Experimenter 1, immediately followed the satiation manipulation. The positive valence condition resulted in longer playing times and faster initial performance on the criterion task. No such effects were found for the satiation variable. Neither valence nor satiation manipulations had a significant effect on the change in rate measure of social reinforcer effectiveness. The relationship among the dependent measures and the failure to replicate earlier relative satiation findings were discussed.Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning concern with the determinants of adult's effectiveness in reinforcing children's behavior. (See Stevenson, 1965, for a review of the many studies that have been conducted.) This concern is understandable if one remembers that it is the role of parents and
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