The relative strength of mastery motivation and need for approval was tested in subjects, ages 4 and 10. Mastery motivation was of major importance to the older children, particularly the boys. Contrary to prediction, approval was not of major importance to the young children. Need for approval was important for girls, but not boys. (Author/CS)

Traditional learning theories stress that people are either conditioned through reward and punishment or by close association with neutral or evocative stimuli. These direct experience theories do not account for people's learning complex behavior through observation. Attentional, retention, motoric reproduction, reinforcement, and motivational…

The author hypothesized that (a) an analysis of the research literature would lead to identifying the behaviors and dispositions associated with successful goal-setting and goal achievement. He further hypothesized that (b) based on these data, an instructional package could be constructed to teach children a skill-strategy based on selected…

The Reinforced Readiness Requisites (RRR) program was developed to provide Mexican-American, Indian, and Black children with the necessary motivation for learning. Comprised of a three-stage behavior modification strategy to improve substandard academic performance, RRR utilizes tangible rewards with the additional components of token and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of two teacher-administered rewards, money and praise, on reading subskills of 32 adult illiterates enrolled in adult basic education classes. These subskills were word recognition and paragraph comprehension. Correct responses were rewarded immediately with money, praise, or…

Attribution Theory has led to predictions that the use of material reward may impair intrinsic motivation in the rewarded activity (decreased play effects). A review of the pertinent literature reveals, however, (a) that attribution research has failed to reliably demonstrate that decreased play effects occur in minimal-trial studies (b) that for…

In a study of the effects of an anticipated reward on the interaction between rewarder and rewardee, the hypothesis was advanced that the offer of a reward heightens a child's sense of outerdirectedness and dependency upon the rewarding adult. Twenty-nine preschoolers who had demonstrated some intrinsic interest in puzzles were asked to assemble a…

In this study, the effects of rewards on same-different judgments of size, color, and weight were investigated. Subjects were 45 children at the kindergarten and first-grade level. The children were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) rewarded for reporting black in the identification of the colors of balls contained inside gray jars, (2)…

Examines the effects of a continuous schedule vs a partial schedule of feedback on learning. The feedback takes the form of grades and comments on laboratory reports in a grade eight laboratory-oriented program. (GA)

The potential undermining effects of a reinforcement program were examined in two studies with kindergarten-first grade children. The procedures were designed to provide an analog to typical classroom incentive programs. The subjects' initial interest was low in one study and high in the other. (Author)

Studied differences in achieving orientations of preschool and third grade children. Two dimensions of sociocentrism were examined: the development of social comparison and receptiveness to social approval. (MS)

There is little incentive for teachers to become school administrators. The extra pay does not make up for the long hours and commitment expected of school leaders. School boards need to work to provide support and incentives to attract competent administrators. (MD)

Modeling is, and has been for the last 2000 years, the single most important vehicle of moral education in China. The legitimate role of man is to seek to be a model himself deserving of peer respect. There are both negative and positive effects upon Chinese society. (MS)

Differential incentive values of verbal stimuli were tested under conditions of high and low reinforcement. Results indicated the 40 fifth grade boys acquired responses faster when high preference items were used. (ST)