Audience Control over Children's Honest Reports

Author(s)

Cortez, Mariele Diniz ; Mazzoca, Rafael H. ; Donaris, Douglas Fernandes ; Oliveira, Ricardo P. ; Miguel, Caio F.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ANALYSIS OF VERBAL BEHAVIOR; v. 38, n. 2, p. 18-pg., 2022-06-14.

Abstract

We evaluated audience control over children's honest reports using a reversal (ABA or ABAB) design. Four typically developing children performed a computer game in which they had to shoot a target and then report on their performance during and at the end of each session. Baseline assessed the accuracy of their reports in the absence of an experimenter. During the audience condition, an adult was present in the room and observed the child during the task. Participants accurately reported their errors when an adult was present, whereas they lied about their performance by systematically reporting errors as correct responses when an adult was absent. Honest reports about their total score at the end of the session also increased in the presence of the audience member. These results suggest that the presence of an adult exerted control over children's honest/accurate reports. We discussed the reasons why the presence of an adult may have served as a discriminative stimulus for honest reports. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/06493-2 - Effects of competition contingencies in children's self-report on their performances in a computerized game
• Grantee: Rafael Hideki Hanazumi Mazzoca
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 14/50909-8 - INCT 2014: Behavior, Cognition and Teaching (INCT-ECCE): relational learning and symbolic functioning
• Grantee: Deisy das Graças de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants