Effects of Symbolic Verbalization by the Model on Children's Observational Learning

Abstract

Two experiments on the effects of symbolic verbalization by a model upon children's recall of the model's responses for a series of dichotomous choices were conducted. As expected, Exp. I, conducted with first grade children, showed that such verbalizations did significantly improve imitative recall although this influence did not extend to a second block of trials in which the verbalizations were no longer provided. Exp. II, with preschool children, again showed a facilitating effect for symbolic verbalizations.