The Effects of Different Types of Warnings with Timeout on Child Compliance to Parental Instructions

Abstract

Previous research has shown that time-out procedures can have a positive influence on compliance. The effect of giving a warning prior to a time-out has also been investigated with results showing that in the short run compliance improves when warnings are given; however, in the long run, compliance is better when warnings are not given. The current study will examine whether similar results will be found if multiple warnings are given before a time-out. The participants will be children with a history of noncompliance. Parents will implement the procedure and receive pre-training and post session feedback. We predict that percentage compliance to initial instruction will be highest in the no warning condition followed by the one warning condition and lowest in the multiple warnings condition. We also predict that overall compliance will be higher than compliance to initial instruction in the two warning conditions. The results of this study may benefit parents as they gain an understanding of the factors that influence compliance, which they can then implement in home or community.

Discipline: Psychology Honours

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Russ Powell