MODELING: THE EFFECTS OF STIMULUS VARIABLES BY LEVELS OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

The primary question of this dissertation was: Do the effects of the stimulus variables in the modeling process differ depending on cognitive levels of development? Piagetian cognitive development theory provided the basis for establishing levels of cognitive development. Bandura's social learning theory served as the theoretical framework for understanding the imitative process. The modeling literature was divided according to the independent variables analyzed. The literature under each independent variable was then separated according to Piagetian levels of cognitive development. The intent of the dissertation was not to serve as another empirical study or simply a review of literature. Rather, the focus was on what has been shown to hold over a variety of situations using level of cognitive development imposed on a variety of independent variables to infer change in the dependent variable. Such analytic approaches are necessary because future empirical studies depend upon conceptual clarity and new approaches. Reviews of imitation literature helped determine the sixteen independent variables analyzed.;It was not suggested that the hundreds of studies that have not incorporated imitation and cognitive levels of development be discarded. Rather, an analysis of these studies provided cogent evidence supporting differential modeling effects by cognitive levels of development. It was primarily a difference in the task employed and/or the complexity of the paradigm employed. It was found that tasks are generally chosen with the age of the subject in mind.;The complexity of the paradigm permeates all variables. What appears as inconsistencies in research may on closer inspection be due to the complexity of the task involved. Generally, the complexity of a paradigm is consciously or unconsciously accounted for by researchers according to the age of the subjects as well as the type of task employed.;One problem noted had to do with the transitional aspects of Piagetian levels of cognitive development. Piaget and his followers have consistently stated that levels of cognitive development are not finite age ranges, but flexible periods of development with two or three years between levels, which are transitional in nature. Since most subjects are chosen by grade levels in school, they are sometimes selected from within these transitional periods. It would be no more difficult to select subjects from within a level of cognitive development.;Intervening variables have also created problems. More careful attention to and elucidation of intervening variables should be an immediate priority. Doing so would help sort out the real inconsistencies from the explanable differences in results. The difficulty with intervening variables seems more apparent when large amounts of research are divided by levels of development.;A summary chapter divided the independent variables into four logical, uneven sized groups for purposes of comparison. Annotated tables were provided.;It was not the intent of this thesis to suggest that all future modeling research must be conducted by Piagetian levels of development. However, when researchers are setting up the studies, it would not be any more difficult to select subjects that fall within specified developmental levels.