Psychology ETDs

Mary L. Dean

Publication Date

3-22-1974

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of class, sex, and ethnic group membership upon delay of gratification as well as the acquisition of delay of gratification behavior through modeling and role playing.

In Phase One of the study, Mischel’s Delay-of-Reward Questionnaire was given to 443 fourth and fifth grade children. Results indicated that girls were significantly more willing to delay gratification than boys, middle class children were significantly more willing to delay gratification than lower class children, and Spanish-American children were significantly more willing to delay gratification than Anglo children. Results were considered to be reflective of differences in cultural and parental models as well as child-rearing practices.

In Phase Two of the study, the middle class children who scored in the lower 40% of the distribution on Mischel’s questionnaire were divided into four groups: modeling, role playing, modeling/role playing, and controls.

The modeling children, who saw filmed models choose delay responses, later choose significantly more delay choices than controls. The role playing children, who played the part of a child who would rather wait for gratification, later chose significantly more delay choices than controls. The combination modeling/role playing group chose the highest percentage of delay responses although scores were not significantly higher than those of the other treatment groups. While no significant sex/treatment interaction was noted, a trend existed which showed that modeling was more effective for boys than for girls, and role playing was more effective for girls than for boys.

Findings are considered to support that aspect of social learning theory which stresses that modeling is a significant determinant of various self-control behaviors. The effectiveness of the role playing procedure is considered to be evidence for Bandura's hypothesis that prescribing a role for enactment is a manifestation of modeling theory.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Britton Kenneth Ruebush

Second Committee Member

Sidney Rosenblum

Third Committee Member

Samuel Roll

Fourth Committee Member

Richard Jerome Harris

Fifth Committee Member

Karl Peter Koenig

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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