This study of self-reinforcement in children's learning looks at two key variables in the self-reinforcement process: the type of reward available and the level of achievement requisite for reward. The study was conducted to clarify the relative efficacy of self-dispensed verbal and tangible rewards for learning. The study also attempted to…

Much research has investigated the processes by which individuals gain information about themselves through comparison with others. The simultaneous influence of different sources of social comparison referents and the level of relative performance on subjects' (N=60) allocation of rewards and satisfaction was examined. Male undergraduates,…

Two studies were conducted to clarify the role of different minimum performance standards for contingent tangible reinforcement or self-dispensed evaluative reinforcement (in the absence of tangible rewards) in determining the rate and accuracy of learning. Preschool children were presented with a discrimination learning task. Their performance…

A study assessed the relationship of the independent variables of interpersonal attraction to the dependent variables of feeling good, relational safety, and uncertainty level. Subjects were 75 elementary and secondary school teachers, 61 communication students, 18 child development professionals, and 8 service club members. Each subject completed…

Although a copious body of research literature concerning the practice of adult self-directed learning exists, the theoretical dimension remains undernourished and poorly developed. If a theory for self-directed learning is to be developed, educators have to decide what is the critical element among the three words in the term self-directed…

Attribution theorists have argued that if an intrinsically motivated activity is extrinsically reinforced, the activity will be devalued and extinguished when the reward is removed. Hypothesizing that activities performed for their instrumental outcome are valued less than activities not so externally oriented, and that activities performed for…

The present study was conducted to determine if overt self-verbalization by the child during the waiting period would influence his delay maintenance behavior when the delayed reward was present. Subjects were 60 preschool girls in the age range of 33-72 months. Fifteen subjects were randomly assigned to each of four experimental conditions: (1)…

Although the behavioral element of the Type A pattern has been identified, the cognitive component of the complex is less well understood. To examine the relationships of self-focused attention, standards for performance, and performance evaluation to Type A behavior, 72 undergraduates were studied. Subjects were classified as Type A (N=36) or…

Like other large organizations, universities often face the problem of distributing scarce resources among individuals. One such resource is university housing space. Students' reactions to a dormitory lottery in which each student had an equal chance of obtaining a room were studied. The lottery seemed fairest to students who shared the…

Intrinsic motivation and self-reinforcement can be used identically to explain behavioral persistence in the absence of external reward. Yet the relationship between these concepts has not been adequately explored. Since intrinsic motivation appears to be dependent on an interesting task and self-reinforcement independent of task, it was…

This study was undertaken to examine what would happen if individuals who are intrinsically motivated to perform a cognitive problem-solving task were offered a contingent extrinsic monetary incentive for doing so. Sixty male and 60 female undergraduates at the University of South Florida used microcomputers to complete a cognitive task requiring…

In an investigation of the effectiveness of self-managed reading improvement programs, a program incorporating self-monitoring (observing and recording relevant activity), self-reinforcement (increasing the probability of some target behavior by the self-presentation of positive consequences or the removal of negative consequences), and shaping…

The paper proposes that when behavior change is the major target of an adult education program, the designer must consider three factors: (1) the four basic targets for behavior change efforts (behavior goals and plans, basic knowledge and skills needed for successful performance, physical environment, reinforcers of behavior); (2) individual…

This paper reviews the role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in children's learning. The paper contends that two types of learning exist: self-initiated learning which is intrinsically motivated, and learning initiated by another person which involves external rewards. The paper suggests that motivation is not unidimensional and that task…

Two studies examined the relationship between preschool and elementary school children's ability to delay gratification and their school behaviors, after controlling for differences in socioeconomic status (SES). Children's gratification control was measured through an age-appropriate dilemma that forced each child to exhibit gratification control…