Aim of the study: This study was aimed at investigating whether displacement activities had an effect on preschool children’s internalization of a rule, that is, on the ability to comply with an adult’s demands even without surveillance. Displacement activities are commonly recognized as behavioral patterns, mostly including self-directed actions (e.g. scratching, self-touching), which often occur in situations involving conflicting motivational tendencies. In ethology, several researchers have suggested that displacement activities could facilitate individuals in dealing with the stress experienced in a frustrating context. In child developmental research, some authors have assessed whether distraction strategies could help children to inhibit a dominant response during delay of gratification tasks (i.e., tasks in which they need to postpone a pleasant activity). However, little is known about the role played by the displacement activities displayed by young children in such situations, especially when children are required to comply with an adult’s request without surveillance. In this study, we hypothesized that displacement activities would have helped children to cope with the stress experienced during the delay to play with an attractive stimulus, thus functioning as regulators of their emotional state and facilitating children to wait longer in the task. We also hypothesized that playing with an alternative toy would have functioned as distractor and led children to be better able to tolerate the delay. Method: To this end, we administered 143 2-to- 4-year-olds with a delay maintenance task and related their performance with the displacement activities they showed during the delay and with different types of actions (i.e., literal, conventional, and symbolic actions) produced with an alternative object (i.e., four rubber ducks). Results: Children’s latency to touch the musical box (i.e., indicator of internalization) was positively related with the rate of displacement activities. However, the rate of displacement activities increased progressively as long as children were able to inhibit the interaction with the musical box. In addition, the rate of displacement activities during the first minute of test did not predict the ability of children to inhibit the interaction with the box. Furthermore, none of the different types of action with the rubber ducks had an effect on children’s delay tolerance. Conclusion: These results suggest that displacement activities represented a functionless by-product of motivational conflict rather than a strategy that children used to inhibit a response toward an attractive stimulus in a delay maintenance task without adult’s surveillance. Moreover, distraction with an alternative object did not help children to perform better in the task.

Attività di spostamento e interiorizzazione di un divieto in bambini in età prescolare durante un compito di ritardo della gratificazione / Pecora, Giulia; Addessi, Elsa; Schino, Gabriele; Bellagamba, Francesca. - In: INFANZIA E ADOLESCENZA. - ISSN 2038-1808. - ELETTRONICO. - 3:14(2015), pp. 232-249. [10.1710/2124.23002]

Attività di spostamento e interiorizzazione di un divieto in bambini in età prescolare durante un compito di ritardo della gratificazione

BELLAGAMBA, Francesca
2015

Abstract

Aim of the study: This study was aimed at investigating whether displacement activities had an effect on preschool children’s internalization of a rule, that is, on the ability to comply with an adult’s demands even without surveillance. Displacement activities are commonly recognized as behavioral patterns, mostly including self-directed actions (e.g. scratching, self-touching), which often occur in situations involving conflicting motivational tendencies. In ethology, several researchers have suggested that displacement activities could facilitate individuals in dealing with the stress experienced in a frustrating context. In child developmental research, some authors have assessed whether distraction strategies could help children to inhibit a dominant response during delay of gratification tasks (i.e., tasks in which they need to postpone a pleasant activity). However, little is known about the role played by the displacement activities displayed by young children in such situations, especially when children are required to comply with an adult’s request without surveillance. In this study, we hypothesized that displacement activities would have helped children to cope with the stress experienced during the delay to play with an attractive stimulus, thus functioning as regulators of their emotional state and facilitating children to wait longer in the task. We also hypothesized that playing with an alternative toy would have functioned as distractor and led children to be better able to tolerate the delay. Method: To this end, we administered 143 2-to- 4-year-olds with a delay maintenance task and related their performance with the displacement activities they showed during the delay and with different types of actions (i.e., literal, conventional, and symbolic actions) produced with an alternative object (i.e., four rubber ducks). Results: Children’s latency to touch the musical box (i.e., indicator of internalization) was positively related with the rate of displacement activities. However, the rate of displacement activities increased progressively as long as children were able to inhibit the interaction with the musical box. In addition, the rate of displacement activities during the first minute of test did not predict the ability of children to inhibit the interaction with the box. Furthermore, none of the different types of action with the rubber ducks had an effect on children’s delay tolerance. Conclusion: These results suggest that displacement activities represented a functionless by-product of motivational conflict rather than a strategy that children used to inhibit a response toward an attractive stimulus in a delay maintenance task without adult’s surveillance. Moreover, distraction with an alternative object did not help children to perform better in the task.
2015
Displacement activities; internalization; inhibitory control
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Attività di spostamento e interiorizzazione di un divieto in bambini in età prescolare durante un compito di ritardo della gratificazione / Pecora, Giulia; Addessi, Elsa; Schino, Gabriele; Bellagamba, Francesca. - In: INFANZIA E ADOLESCENZA. - ISSN 2038-1808. - ELETTRONICO. - 3:14(2015), pp. 232-249. [10.1710/2124.23002]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Bellagamba_Spostamento-e-interiorizzazione.pdf

solo gestori archivio

Note: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Documento in Post-print (versione successiva alla peer review e accettata per la pubblicazione)
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
Dimensione 271.04 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
271.04 kB Adobe PDF   Contatta l'autore

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/934323
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact