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Situation and Person Factors in Young Children's Communication
Author(s) -
Hulls M. Johanna,
Melson Gail F.,
Cohen Allen S.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x8000800602
Subject(s) - nonverbal communication , psychology , task (project management) , developmental psychology , orientation (vector space) , social relation , social psychology , cognitive psychology , geometry , mathematics , management , economics
The influence of situation and person factors on children's nonverbal communicative responsivity was investigated during dyadic interaction. Using a person‐situation interaction framework, it was hypothesized that when situations provide clear social or task cues, children will adjust their level of responsiveness to the perceived demands of the situation. When both social and task cues are provided, strength of social orientation will be related to amount of responsivity. Thirty‐four same‐sex and same‐age dyads of three‐ and four‐year‐olds were videotaped in three situations providing orientation to social, task, or both social and task cues. Three nonverbal measures of responsivity were analyzed in an age x sex x situation design. Situation main effects were reported for all nonverbal behaviors with greater respon sivity occurring in the social situation. Field‐dependent and socially‐oriented children ex hibited higher levels of nonverbal responsivity in the situation providing both social and task cues.