Abstract
Thirty-six third-grade children participated in a probability learning task under one of three presumed motivational levels. Rewarded children received toys for participating in the experiment. Children in a reward-expectancy group did not receive any toys in the experiment, but they did observe the rewarded children return to the classroom with toys. A control group did not receive or expect reward. The results indicated that the expectancy children were disappointed and withdrawn when they learned that they would not receive any toys. Performance differences were found in the children’s response strategies but not in the overall probability learning behavior of the three groups.
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This study was supported, in part, by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD-01639). The author would Iike to thank Mr. Roger Campbell, Principal of the Hillerest Elementary Sehool, Delphi, Indiana, for his eooperation in providing ehildren to serve as Ss in this study.
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Offenbach, S.I. Studies of children’s probability learning behavior: VII. Effect of reward expectancy. Psychon Sci 19, 213–214 (1970). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328780
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328780