Reason giving in children's supplicatory compliance gaining

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated children's reason giving in a supplication situation. The participants were 60 children, 10 each at ages three through eight. A speech act analysis was used to establish categories of reasons. Results indicated that the categories may be identified as discrete entities and that the data were best analyzed using child response patterns rather than chronological age. Findings demonstrate clearly the development of reason giving strategies in children. Reason giving is defended as a type of compliance gaining. Notes Mary Louise Willbrand is Professor of Speech‐Language Pathology and Richard D. Rieke is Professor of Communication, both at the University of Utah. This research was supported by a grant from the Research Committee of the University of Utah. We thank our research assistants Dr. Georgia Magnera, Mary fo Kleinschmidt, Louis Dwire, and Judy Pinborough.