The influence of social reinforcement as a function of social position on motor performance was investigated. 2 social positions (high and low) and 3 social reinforcement conditions (praise, reproof and non-reinforcement) were used in a 2 × 3 factorial design. 10 Ss were randomly assigned to each of the social reinforcement conditions for each level of social position. The motor task involved rolling a ball up an inclined board to a target area. No significant differences for the 2 main effects or their interaction appeared. The importance of the nonsignificant was explained in terms of information feedback.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AdamsJ. A.A closed-loop theory of motor learning. Journal of Motor Behavior, 1971, 3, 111–150.
2.
BattleE. S.RotterJ. B.Children's feelings of personal control as related to social class and ethnic group. Journal of Personality, 1963, 31, 482–490.
3.
BialerI.Conceptualization of success and failure in mentally retarded and normal children. Journal of Personality, 1961, 29, 303–320.
4.
GatesG. S.RisslandL. Q.The effect of encouragement and of discouragement upon performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 1923, 14, 21–26.
5.
GewirtzJ. L.Deprivation and satiation of social stimuli as determinants of their reinforcing efficacy. In HillJ. P. (Ed.), Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology. Vol. I. Minneapolis: Univer. of Minnesota Press, 1967. Pp. 3–56.
6.
GewirtzJ. L.BaerD. M.Deprivation and satiation of social reinforcers as drive conditions. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1958, 57, 165–172.
7.
GounardB. R.Effects of praise and censure on normal Ss' performance on a psychomotor task. Psychonomic Science, 1969, 15, 99–100.
8.
HillK. T.Social reinforcement as a function of test anxiety and success-failure experiences. Child Development, 1967, 38, 723–737.
9.
HillK. T.MoelyB. E.Social reinforcement as a function of task instructions, sex of S, age of S, and baseline performance. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1969, 7, 153–165.
10.
HolllngsheadA. D.RedlichF. C.The index of social position (appendix 2). In HollingsheadA. D.RedlichF. C. (Eds.), Social class and mental illness: A community study, New York: Wiley, 1958. Pp. 387–397.
11.
HurlockE. B.Child development. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956.
12.
LaneH.BeauchampM.Understanding human development. Englewood Cliffs. N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1959.
13.
LefcourtH. M.LadwigG. W.The American Negro: A problem in expectancies. Journal of Personality and social Psychology, 1965, 1, 377–380.
14.
MartensR.Social reinforcement effects on preschool children's motor performance. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1970, 31, 787–792.
15.
MartensR.Internal external control and reinforcement effects on motor performance. Research Quarterl., 1971, 42, 307–313.
16.
McManisD. L.Pursuit rotor performance of normal and retarded in four verbal incentive condition:, Child Development, 1965, 36, 667–683.
17.
RobertsG. C.MarifnsR.Social reinforcement and complex motor performance. Research Quarterly, 1970, 41, 175–181.
18.
RotterJ. B.Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs, 1966, 80, No. 1 (Whole No. 609).
19.
StevensonH.Social reinforcement with children as a function of CA, sex of E, and of S.Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1961, 63, 147–154.
20.
StevensonH. W.OdomR. D.The effectiveness of social reinforcement following two conditions of social deprivation. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1962, 65, 429–431.
21.
WrightD.Social reinforcement and maze learning in children. Child Development, 1968, 39, 177–183.
