The Effects of Distractible Child Behavior on Adults in a Problem-Solving Setting

Abstract

Twenty-four women enrolled in undergraduate special education classes interacted with a child confederate while solving three tasks in one of two conditions. In one condition, the child exhibited distractible behavior; in the other the child exhibited similar skill levels but remained on task. Based on videotapes of the sessions, eleven categories of adult behavior and five categories of child behavior were coded. Analysis of the data using multivariate analysis of variance techniques supported the hypothesis that adults respond differently to particular characteristics of child behavior. Adults interacting with the confederate in the distractible condition made significantly more demands on the child's attention, provided more instruction, and more often asked the child about his performance and the demands of the task. Educational implications of the effects of child behavior on adults are discussed.