Skill and Chance Orientations as Determiners of Problem-Solving Behavior in Lower- and Middle-Class Children

Abstract

This study was an attempt to replicate a previous finding that lower- and middle-class children of the same MA differ in their performance on a partially reinforced three-choice learning task. It was also an attempt to assess the role that skill and chance orientations play in determining this differential performance of social-class groups. The most significant finding of this study was that skill-oriented Ss showed less maximizing (correct responses) and more left, middle, right patterning of their responses than chance-oriented Ss. No main effect of social class was found but an interaction effect did occur that reflected significantly more left, middle, right patterning of responses by middle-class skill-oriented Ss than any other group.