SOME EFFECTS OF NURTURANCE MODELING ON AFFECTIONATE BEHAVIOR IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Some determinants of affectionate behavior in young children were explored in two experiments. Experiment I demonstrated that children who imitated a male model who was nurturant toward a toy teddy bear were nurturant in kind in a subsequent free-play testing period. Experiment 2 replicated the above finding and demonstrated that mere participation without imitation of nurturance and imitation of neutral physical contact was not effective in inducing affectionate behavior.