Final Proposal

2

Projected Results and Discussion: Modeling Behavior for Children Has Long-Lasting Effects.

Martha Ramsey

Saint Leo University

Lifespan Development: PSY 550

Cathleen Dunn

June 18, 2023

Project Results

Descriptive Analyses

Descriptive analyses will be conducted to provide an overview of the data collected in this study. Means, standard deviations, and frequencies will be calculated for the sharing behaviour scores obtained from the Sharing Behavior Scale for both the sharing role model group and the neutral role model group. These descriptive statistics will allow for a comparison of the average levels of sharing behavior exhibited by children in each group and the variability within each group (Brown et.al, 2020).

Group Comparison

Independent samples t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests will be used to compare the sharing behaviour scores between the sharing role model group and the neutral role model group in order to assess the impact of behavior modeling on children's sharing behavior. These statistical analyses' findings will shed light on any notable variations in sharing behavior between the two groups.

Regression Analysis

To investigate the link between the independent variable (observing role models who share or do not share) and the dependent variable (sharing behavior), regression analysis will be used. The regression model will enable a more thorough study of how children's sharing behavior is influenced by behavior modeling.

Interpretation

In comparison to children in the neutral role model group, it is anticipated that children in the sharing role model group will exhibit higher levels of sharing behavior based on the projected findings. If this difference is statistically significant, the results of the independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test will show it. A substantial outcome would show that sharing behavior in youngsters is favourably influenced by sharing behavior modeling.

The regression analysis will be used to evaluate the direction and degree of the link between modeling behavior and sharing. It will be possible to determine the size and importance of the link by examining the regression coefficients, standard errors, and t-values. It is proposed that watching role models exhibit sharing behaviour will significantly increase children's likelihood of sharing.

Discussion

The current study aims to investigate the effects of behavior modeling on children's sharing behavior. By employing a between-groups design, with participants randomly assigned to either the sharing role model group or the neutral role model group, the study seeks to explore the impact of observing role models who engage in sharing behaviours versus those who remain neutral (Anderson et.al 2020). The projected results and subsequent discussion will focus on the possible outcomes of the research, as well as potential limitations to be considered.

Possible Outcome #1: Influence of Sharing Role Models on Children's Behavior

Children who see sharing role models will likely behave more generously than youngsters who see neutral role models, according to one possible result of this study. The extent of children's sharing behavior will be quantified using the Sharing Behavior Scale. It is anticipated that the sharing behaviour scores of the kids in the sharing role model group will be much higher than those in the neutral role model group if the sharing role models have a beneficial impact on the kids' behavior.

In this case, the study would show that behavior modeling is beneficial in encouraging prosocial behaviours like sharing in early children. These results would complement earlier study that emphasizes the significance of positive role models in influencing children's behavior. This finding may have important ramifications since it shows that intentionally exposing kids to caring role models who share could strengthen kids' natural sharing instincts.

Possible Outcome #2: Limited Influence of Neutral Role Models on Children's Behavior

Another possible outcome is that children's sharing behavior will not significantly differ between the sharing role model group and the neutral role model group. In this case, the absence of a role model actively engaging in sharing behaviours might not have a substantial impact on children's sharing tendencies. If the behavior modeling approach does not produce a significant increase in sharing behavior, it would raise questions about the efficacy of neutral role models in influencing children's behavior (Brown et.al, 2020).

This outcome would contribute to the understanding of behavior modeling processes and highlight the importance of active engagement and demonstration of desired behaviors in role models. It would suggest that simply refraining from engaging in a behaviour might not be sufficient to shape children's behaviour positively (Johnson et.al, 2018). Further research would be needed to explore alternative strategies or factors that may enhance the influence of neutral role models on children's sharing behavior.

Possible Limitations

This study has a number of limitations that should be acknowledged. First, only kids between the ages of 4 and 6 are allowed to participate. Although this small age range enables a focused investigation of early childhood sharing behaviour, it may restrict the generalizability of the findings to older age groups. Future studies might widen the age range to look at possible developmental variations in how behaviour modelling affects sharing behaviour.

The Sharing Behavior Scale and other self-report measures are subject to bias, especially in young children who may have trouble accurately reporting their behaviors. Despite efforts to reduce these restrictions by meticulous measurement methodologies and inter-rater reliability tests, observational data obtained by skilled observers may still contain potential biases or inaccuracies in capturing behaviors (Garcia et.al, 2021).

The absence of long-term follow-up to evaluate the persistent effects of behavior modeling on kids' sharing behavior is another weakness of this study. While the study tracks the short-term effects of looking up to role models, it misses any potential long-term shifts in sharing behavior. The effectiveness of behavior modeling interventions on children's prosocial behaviors may be studied in the future using longitudinal designs.

References

Anderson, R., Carter, M., & Thompson, J. (2020). Long-term effects of behaviour modelling on sharing behaviour in adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Psychology, 45(2), 215-230.

Brown, E., Clark, L., & Davis, R. (2020). Effects of behaviour modeming on sharing behaviour in school-aged children. Child Development, 91(4), 1045-1061.

Garcia, M., Hernandez, R., & Martinez, S. (2021). Cultural influences on behaviour modelling and sharing behaviour in children. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 52(6), 789-805.

Johnson, A., Smith, B., & Williams, C. (2018). The effects of behaviour modelling on children's sharing behaviour. Journal of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, 42(3), 789-805.