Incentive conditions and the selected WISC-R subtest performance of elementary school children.
Item
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Title
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Incentive conditions and the selected WISC-R subtest performance of elementary school children.
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Identifier
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AAI9020796
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identifier
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9020796
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Creator
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Pollock, Mary-Georgia Ann.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Philip A. Saigh
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Date
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1990
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Education, Educational Psychology | Education, Tests and Measurements | Psychology, Social
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Abstract
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There is a general accord in the literature of individual intelligence testing regarding the need to facilitate the examinee's performance. Among the techniques employed to attain this goal have been operant procedures (e.g., verbal praise for effort or performance) and symbolic modeling techniques (e.g., filmed or videotaped vignettes of models' interactions with examiners). The present study compared the effects of two types of examiner comments (i.e., non-contingent verbal praise and neutral, non-evaluative comments) and three types of modeling experiences (i.e., videotaped modeling of test behavior, accompanied by onscreen narration; videotaped modeling of test behavior without narration; and no modeling), on the WISC-R Arithmetic, Picture Completion, Block Design, and Digit Span subtest scores of fourth graders. The 96 primarily white (97%) middle class students attending urban Roman Catholic parochial schools, were matched by sex and scores on the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), Form R, to one of the six experimental treatments. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was applied to the test scores. The OLSAT School Ability Index scores served as the covariate. Three hypotheses were tested. H{dollar}\sb{01}{dollar} predicted a main effect for examiner praise, i.e., that the mean scaled scores of subjects who were verbally praised would significantly exceed the mean scaled scores of subjects who were not praised. H{dollar}\sb{02}{dollar} predicted that the mean scaled scores of subjects who viewed modeling videotapes would significantly exceed the mean scaled scores of subjects who did not view a modeling videotape. H{dollar}\sb{03}{dollar} predicted that the mean scaled scores of subjects who viewed the modeling videotape with narration would significantly exceed the mean scaled scores of subjects who viewed the modeling videotape without narration. In addition, an interaction effect was predicted. Data analysis failed to support any of the predictions. Several reasons were discussed regarding the non-significant results. Specifically, the verbal praise statements might have been poor motivators. In addition, subjects' attributions for success, sample characteristics, and duration of treatments might have affected the outcome measures.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
