Vicarious Conditioned Reinforcement in Children

Summary

Thirty-six preschool boys and girls were assigned to three conditions which differed in the method of developing a green light as a conditioned reinforcer for inserting a stylus into a hole. In one condition (Alone) the children were exposed to the light paired with direct reinforcement for the response, in another (Observation) they observed peers who were exposed to the light paired with direct reinforcement, and in a third (Control) they had no prior exposure. The effect of the light as a conditioned reinforcer on all children was subsequently measured by making it contingent on inserting the stylus into one of two holes. Children in the Observation condition chose the “light hole” significantly more than those in the Alone and Control conditions. An analysis of the number of children in each condition who made a significant proportion of choices of the “light hole” revealed that more children did so in the Observation and Alone conditions than in Control.