Reinforcement Effects of Adult Reactions and Nonreactions on Children's Achievement Expectations; A Replication Study1,2

Abstract

This study was a replication and extension of an investigation concerning possible reinforcing effects of adult nonreactions (silence) on children's expectations of success in achievement situations. Also, differential sensitivity to adult verbal reactions was predicted from the generalized expectancy for success that children brought to the testing session. Results substantiated those of the earlier experiment. E nonreaction produced changes in children's expectations of success opposite to those produced by preceding positive or negative verbal reactions. It was demonstrated that such changes could not be accounted for by extinction. Findings also indicated that high expectancy children changed their expectancies more as the result of negative adult reactions, while low expectancy children responded more to positive adult reactions.