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Schedule-Induced Aggression in Nursery School Children

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Abstract

The frequency and intensity of hitting an automated Bobo doll were continuously recorded for 8 female and 8 male nursery school children receiving pennies for bar pressing on a continuous reinforcement-extinction schedule. Hitting was distributed throughout extinction and baseline periods but did not occur during continuous reinforcement. No sex differences were found. The results parrallel data obtained from infrahuman organisms and suggest that schedule-elicited aggression in humans may be viewed as an adjunctive behavior.

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These data are based on a thesis submitted by the first author to the Department of Psychology, Ohio University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree. The authors wish to thank Ms. Frederiksen and Drs. H. Kotses and P. Lewis for their assistance in the preparation and completion of this research.

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Frederiksen, L.W., Peterson, G.L. Schedule-Induced Aggression in Nursery School Children. Psychol Rec 24, 343–351 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394252

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394252

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