Abstract
Differential adult response to the dependent behaviors of young girls and boys has been widely reported in the literature. The present study was an experimental investigation of the role of adult response patterns in shaping and maintaining independent behavior in preschoolers. A two-group design using random assignment was used to examine environmental control of independent and dependent behaviors, defined as task persistence and exploration, and proximity-seeking and socialization of attention, respectively. Subjects were 20 3- and 4-year-olds, 11 females and 9 males. Results indicated that independent and dependent behaviors are both strongly under the control of environmental contingencies in both boys and girls. Implications of these results for the theoretical understanding of sex-role development and women's mental health problems are discussed.
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This project was supported by Grant #1 R01 MH25751 awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health, DHEW. Conclusions represented herein are not necessarily those of the sponsoring agency. Portions of this paper were presented at the 1976 meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy in San Francisco. The authors would like to thank Donald J. Levis for his helpful comments on the manuscript. They would also like to thank V. Sue Atkinson, the educational coordinator and lead teacher at the Butternut Hill School, and the undergraduate experimenters and observers for their participation in this project.
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Serbin, L.A., Connor, J.M. & Citron, C.C. Environmental control of independent and dependent behaviors in preschool girls and boys: A model for early independence training. Sex Roles 4, 867–875 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287706
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287706