1. family and parenting
2. children

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A STUDY OF CHILDREN'S, P.ARENTS 1 , AND TEACHERS'
RATINGS OF CERTAIN BEHAVIOR TRAITS
)
by
A. B.
LOUISE BACHTOLD (University of California)
1940
I
t)
THESIS
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Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the d·egree of
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I
MASTE~
OF ARTS
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AT THE
SACRAMENTO STATE COLLEGE
,
S.f\.C.RAJSENT.O
STATl13 COLLEGE:
A.:tCHIFES
Robert A. Good, Chair
Edwin L. Klingelhofer
Emmet C. Thompson
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER
1
I. THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED • • • • •
The problem • • • • • • ·•
•
• • • • •
• • • • •
1
Stat_ement of the problem
• • • • • •
• • • • •
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Importance of the study • • • • • • •
• • • • •
l
Definition of terms used
• • • • • •
• • • • •
2
Selected behavior traits
• • • • • •
• • • • •
2
Importance to mental health • • • • •
• • • • •
2
•
3
• • • • •
3
.....
II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE •
.
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Wiclan.an 1 s study • • • • • • • • •
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Mitchell's study
•
•
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• • • • • • • • •
Re_mrner and Weltman's study
.....
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• • • • •
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6
Contributions to this study • • • •
•
• • • •
8
•
9
•
• • • • •
9
• • • • •
• • • • •
9
III. METHOD OF STUDY AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
Method of study • • • • • •
Selection of population
...•
• • •
•
The instrument • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • 10
Administration of the rating scale
• • • • • 11
Treatment of the rating scales • •
• • •
.. ..•
••• . . .
Method of presenting data • • • •
IV. FINDINGS, SUMMARY, AND CONCLUSIONS
Findings • • • • • • • • • • •
• • •
• • 13
•
. 14
• • 15
• • • •
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Other related studies • • • • • • • •
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Continued) .
Result of tests for significant variance
. . . . 15
Comparison with Wickman 1 s teachers' rank order • 15
Comparison of individual traits by groups
Comparison of group judgments
Sunnnary • • •.. • • • • • • • • •
...• • •
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Suggestions for further research
Conclusions •
BIBLIOGRAPHY •
APPENDIX • • •
Exhibit
A
Exhibit
B •
Exhibit
c .
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• • • 21
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. 25
26
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• • • 39
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLES
PAGE
I • .Analysis of Variance on Mean Seriousness Ratings
of the Trait ncheating" by Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers and Parents • • • • • •
16
II. Mean Value of Traits As Judged by Parents, Teachers,
Boys and Girls • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • 18
III. Rank Order of Seriousness of Traits by Groups
..
19
IV. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 11 Stealing 1*
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • . • • 27
V. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 11 Tattling 11
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • . 28
VI. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 11 Lying 11 and·
.Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • • 29
VII. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 11 Carelessness 11
and .Analysis of Variance for· Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parertts • • • • • . 30
VIII. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 1tcruelty 11
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • · • • • • 31
IX. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Tra;tt 11 Fearfulness 11
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • .• • . • • 32
X. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait "Disobeying"
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • •
33
XI. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait "Quarreling"
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • • 34
XII. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 11 Unhappiness"
and .Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • • 35
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LIST OF TABLES
(Continued)
TABLES
PAGE
XIII. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait 11 Rudenesstt
and Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • • 36
XIV. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait "Nervousness"
and Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • • 37
[·
X:V. Mean Seriousness Ratings of the Trait "Selfishness"
and Analysis of Variance for Seventh and Eighth
Grade Students, Teachers, and Parents • • • • • • 38
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURES
1
Mean Scores of Ratings by Parents, Teachers, Boys
and Girls on Twelve Behavior Traits • • • • • • • ·17
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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
Parents and teachers share the common objective of
guiding youth toward competence and maturity, and a similarity of their attitudes toward behavior should be expected.
However, along with the areas of similarity, some differences
may also be expected which reflect differences in training
and role.
A knowledge of these differences and their extent
would be useful in relating home and school standards of
behavior.
A comparison of boys• and girls' attitudes toward
behavior may reveal training differences based on sexual
role.
As a consequence, these groups may be significantly
different in attitude.
Information on attitudes in these
groups, and their comparison-with adult attitudes as expressed by parents and teachers should contribute toward a clearer
understanding of influences acting on the young adolescent.
I. THE PROBLEM
Statement of the problem.
It was the purpose of this
study to compare judgments by seventh and eighth grade
pupils, teachers, and parents on the relative importance to
mental health of selected behavior traits.
Importance of the study.
Various studies, later· to be
considered, have measured diverse areas of parents• and
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teachers' attitudes toward children's problems.
Data are
lacking, however, as to the children's own attitudes in the
same context.
Therefore, it was decided to devise an instru-
ment which could be administered to children, teachers, and
parents alike, to clarify the relationships among these
groups in their attitudes.
II. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
Selected behavi0r traits.
These specific traits were
fifteen traits chosen from the total range of traits (1) as
indicated in the Wickman1 study as behavior problems, and (2)
as adaptable for presentation to the seventh and eighth grade
age level for consideration.
Importance to mental health.
The degree to which
possession of a given trait would be said to indicate potential maladjustment is the criterion against which the traits
were rated.
1
'.
E.K.Wickman, Children's Behavior and Teacher Attitudes
(New York:. The Commonwealth Fund, 1928), pp. 246 - 247.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The springboard for this study was E. K. Wickman's investigation into children's behavior and teacher attitudes.
Significant divergences in teachers' and mental hygienists'
attitudes were revealed, although the validity of the results
was rendered questionable by Wickman's giving different instructions to the two groups.
The
~eachers
.
were instructed:
2
You are requested to rate each of these
behavior items according to the degree of seriousness
of the particular behavior for any child. In other
words, how undesirable is it for any child to manifest
the behavior described in this list of problems? To
what extent does it make him a difficult child? .
The mental hygienists were advised: 3
Then rate each of these items according to
this criterion: What is your professional opinion of
the seriousness or importance of this behavior when
occurring in any school child with regard to its
future effect in limiting his or her happiness,
success, and general we],fare after leaving school
and on entering adult social and industrial life.
In other words, how much will the possession of
this behavior trait by a child generally handicap
him in his future adjustments as an adult.
Wickman's study.
Wickman compiled his fifty behavior
traits of children from teachers' lists of undesirable behaviors.
In rating the seriousness of these problems, teachers
stressed problems relating to sex, dishonesty, disobedience,
and failure to learn.
2Ibid., p.206.
They considered withdrawal character3Ibid., p.210.
4
istics in children as of comparatively small significance,
while mental hygienists indicated such unsoci.al forms of behavior as most serious, and minimized the importance which
teachers gave to anti-social c.onduct.
In considering standards of behavior evaluation,
Wickman observed, "No two families maintain exactly the same
requirements for the behavior of their children ••• The school
may revoke standards of conduct set up for a child in the
4
home. 11
This implied difference in
standard~
between home and
school aroused the curiosity of the writer.
Does this dif-
ference exist, and if so, to what degree?
How do the children
themselves feel about behavior problems?
Mitchell's study.
Fifteen years after Wickrnan's re-
port, Mitchell conducted a comparable investigation. 5
There
were fifty-five traits considered; twenty-two from Wickrnan's
study, twenty-seven similar traits worded differently, and
duplication of traits such as "cribbing" and
11
cheating".
Children were from grades five and six, aged ten to thirteen,
rather than all ages in the elementary school as in Wickman 1 s
study.
4
Ibid., p.3.
5J. C. Mitchell, "A Study of Teacher's and Mental
Hygienists' Ratings of Certain Behavior Problems of Children,"
Journal of Educational Research, 1943, 36: 292 - 307.
5
Mitchell found judgments about traits by teaehers and
mental.hygienists were in closer agreement in 1940 than in
1927, but noted that different instructions to the teachers
in 1927 may have affected this finding.
The data suggested
that in the intervening years mental hygienists changed
their ratings in the direction of being more conservative.
On the other hand, there were teacher changes in the rating
of traits toward considering non-aggressive traits such as
unsocialness, fearfulness, sullenness, and cowardliness as
more serious in 1940 than previously.
Remmers and Weltman 1 s
stud~.
In 1947 Remmers and
Weltman conducted an investigation into the
inter~relat~on­
ships of· attitudes of high school students, their parents,
and their teachers.6
Ten school communities in Indiana and
Illinois were .sampled, represented by 88 sons, 119 daughters,
207 fathers, 207 mothers, and 89 teachers.
The areas, were
largely rural.
There was found to be a high level of agreement of
attitudes between parents and children,. so that attitudes
toward specifics, such as political parties, might be fairly
accurately predicted of children from parents, and vice
versa.
There was reported a strong suggestion that parents
6
H. H. Remmers, and Naomi Weltman, "Attitude InterRelationships of Youth, Their Parents, and.Their Teachers,"
Journal of Social Psychology, 1947, 26:61-67
6
and their children are more similar in attitudes than are
teachers and their pupils, or teachers ·and parents.
It was
also suggested that children in grades eleven and twelve are
less like their parents in attitude patterns than are children
in grades nine and ten.
validity of these
11
Statistical evidence of the probable
suggestions" was not included in the
publication.
Other related studies.
A study in the Detroit ele-
mentary schools endeavored "to discover the nature and extent
of behavior traits among elementary-school children" by a
survey using twenty-six undesirable behavior traits. 7 Of
these items,· teachers reported "interferes," "argues," and
"fights" as the first three most frequent in occurrence, and
isex ab{ise, u "avoids others, u and "sets fires" as the three
1
items least frequent in occurrence.
Parents• attitudes toward children's behavior were reported through an investigation in which parents made notes
.
8
for one week on annoying acts of their children.
The three
most frequent annoyances listed were ttnoises and interruptions,"
7H. J. Baker and V. Traphagen, The Dia5nosis an& Treatment of Behavior Problem Children (NeW"'Y'ork: The MaCM:iiian
Company, 1935), p.370.
8
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M. Sherman, Basic Problems of Behavior (New York:
Longmans, Green and Company, 1941)-:;--p.334.
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7
"disobedience," and
Activities recurring the
.
least number of times were"dirty habits," "bad humor," and
11
bad manners".
.
"teasing".
Teachers• ratings on malaqjustment were used by Rogers
as one of the procedures in his investigatipn into the extent
to which elementary school children are maladjusted.9
Of 1~24
elementary pupils, twelve percent were judged seriously maladjusted, and an additional thirty percent appeared to be poorly
adjusted.
Smith developed a behavior rating scale for use as an
evaluation instrument in school guidance programs. 10 Corey
11
studied professed attitudes and actual behavior of children,
and experimented with the measurement of attitudes in the
12
classroom.
These studies are related, but not of central importance, to the present problem.9Rogers, c. R. "A Study of the Mental Health Problems
in Three Representative Elementary Schools,". A Study of
Health and Physical Education in Columbus Public Schools,
Bureau of Educational Research Monograph (Columbus, Ohio:
Ohio State University, 1942), .No • 25, pp. ~130 - 161.
10
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Smith, Helen H. "The Santa Barbara Behavior Rating
Scale'', Journal 9.£_ Educational Research, 1944, 37:500-511.
ll .
Stephen M. Corey, "Professed Attitudes and Actual Behavior", Journal of Educational Ps:y:chologz, 1937, 28: 271 -280.
12
.
.
Ibid., "Measuring Attitudes in the- Classroom",
Elementary School Journal, 1943, 43: 457-461.
.
.
8
Contributions to this study.
This investigation has
drawn from Wickman 1 s scale for behavior traits.
Since Wick-
man specifically instructed teachers to regard seriousness
of behavior traits from the teachers• standards, and
clinicians to judge seriousness from the standpoint of mental
health, Mitchell pointed up difficulties of interpretation
resulting from varied instructions.
The writer intended that
all groups use the same basis for judgment.
Accordingly, the
-
instructions were written at the comprehension level of
seventh grade so that all subjects could receive uniform
in-
structions.
The investigation of Remmers and Weltman, in comparing
attitudes of parents, teachers and children gave evidence of
potential merit, in the investigation of differences among
attitudes of these groups toward behavior problems.
The
report of Remmers and Weltman, however, was directed toward
correlating attitudes o.f parents with their own children
and the teachers of those children.
This study is concerned',
instead, with attitudes of parents, teachers, and children
as groups, and without consideration of liaisons between
individuals.
CHAPl'ER III
METHOD OF STUDY AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
I.
Selection of
~
METHOD OF S'l'UDY
population.
pior reasons of experi-
mental efficiency and economy, the Arden area of the ArdenCarmichael Union Elementary School District of Sacramento
County was selected for sampling.
The parent and pupil groups
which participated represent a limited population.
The
families are almost exclusively homeowners; civil service
workers, professional people, and business executives are
in the majority.
Another large
g~oup
are the Air Force
officers and families, most of whom remain in the area for
at least one year.
The community is a rapidly developing suburban area
whose growth is dependent not only on the overflow of
Sacramento City, but on the great influx of
11
new" population
from all over the country.
The parents are youth oriented, and inaugurate and
participate in numerous youth activities.
The children are,
in general, well dre·ssed, and give evidence of good nutrition; incidences of children in economic need have been
extremely rare.
Truancy and other acts sometimes designated
as "delinquent" have not been a major problem in the area.
10
Children below seventh and eighth grade level were not considered mature enough to understand the rating scale, and,
thus, were not included in this study.
Most of t.he teaphers make their home within the
school district, and are as new to this community as the
group they serve.
- The instrument.
In selecting traits from Wickman' s
scale of fifty items, the writer attempted to choose traits
from the. total range which were representative of the vary-
.
ing degrees of seriousness, and at the same time understandable to the least mature of the group investigated.
The
total scale of Wickman was divided into groups of five traits;
.
.
and from each group, one was chosen that seemed to fit the
criteria.
Five more traits were added arbitrarily on the
basis of their possible interest to, and comprehension by,
the young adolescent.
A~cordingly,
such traits as "hetero-
sexual activity", "masturbation", "sullenness,"
11
impertinence, 11
and "imaginative lying 11 were deleted because of potential
problems of vocabulary.
Wickman 1 s teacher's rank order of seriousness on the
selected traits was as.follows:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Stealing
Lying
Cruelty
Cheating
Disobeying
Temper Tantrums
Rudeness
11
h
i
j
k
1
m
n
0
Nervousness
Unhappiness
Selfishness
Carelessness
Quarreling
Stubbornness
Fearfulness
Tattling.
Rather than presenting the traits in the order of
seriousness as found by Wickman, the experimenter mixed the
traits to provide maximmn opportunity for unbiased judgment.
The number of traits was restricted to fifteen with
regard for the limitations of the youngest group for concentrated evaluation.
{See Exhibit A)
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Administration of the ratiAS scale.
.
The rating scales
.
were submitted to three of the six seventh grades, and three
of the ten eighth grades of the Arden School during class on
May 15th and 16th, 1956.
The classes were selected on the
basis of their availability during the free period of the
investigator.
Ratings of the first 100 boys and 100 girls
thus available were included in the findings.
The pupils were advised that their cooperation would
be helpful to the writer in making a comparison of young
people's and adults•_attitudes.
They were instructed not to
sign their names, .and to indicate their own feelings freely
since there were no right or wrong answers.
The investigator
read the instructions on the rating .scale aloud, and offered
to answer any -questions:
12
Most people feel that the kinds of behavior
listed below affect a boy's or girl's ability to lead
a normal life as a wholesome personality. Everyone,
however, .has different ideas on "how much" each ·kind
of behavior affects normal living as a wholesome
personality.
If you had a toothache, you might describe it
all the way from "extremely serious" to "not serious",
depending on how much it hurts. Do.the same for the
way you feel about each kind of behavior by putting a
circle around the number which indicates how you feel
about it.
In each class pupils revealed enthusiasm and interest
in the project.
In three instarices the meaning of "stubborn-
ness" was questioned.
This was answered by whispering to the
individual, "It might describe how you feel when you are told
to do something, and you make up your mind you won't do it. 11
In two instances the meaning of "temper tantrums"
was questioned.
These were also answered individually by,
"Maybe the expression 'blowing your top• would mean the same
to you. 11
The pupils asked no other questions, and appeared
to understand the instructions easily.
In each class the
total time of administering the rating scale was ten minutes.
For convenience in securing parents• ratings, envelopes were distributed in various classes, including some
of those which had made student ratings.
Half of each class
addressed envelopes to fathers, and half to mothers.
Address-
ing these to parents was a penmanship and language lesson,
and based the selection of parents on the permission of their
child's teacher for this "language arts lesson".
13
The rating scales were mailed to parents the week of
May 14, 1956.
ed.
(.See Exhibit B)
Of 169 sent, 121 were return-
'!'he first 100 returned were used as the basis for
findings on the group.
The comparatively high percentage of
responses may be accounted for in part by the close parentteacher relationships developed in the district through six
years of regularly scheduled parent conferences.
Parents have revealed an intense interest in· school
policy, attitudes, and activities in general.
Whether the
.responses which were not returned would have revealed a systematic bias is not known.
Teachers received the scales in their mail boxes at
school on May 15, 1956, and the entire teaching staff returned the scales.
(See Exhibit C)
Treatment of :the rating scales. Responses of each
group for each trait listed in the scales were tabulated
according to group.
The computations were subjected to a
simple analysis of variance, with the 5% coefficient of risk
assumed. 13
For 3 and 331 degrees of freedom an F ratio of
14
2.65 is significant at the 5% level.
The means and
13E.F.Lindquist, Design and Analysis of Exp~riments in
Psychology and Education (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,
1953), pp. zrr-- 66.
-
14
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Harold D. Larsen, Rinehart Mathematical Tables
(New York: 1948), pp.156 - 159.
14
analyses of variance are given in Tables I to XV.
The
rank order of means for each group is listed in Table III,
and the mean of all means for each group can be seen in
Table II.
For all traits in which the analysis of variance
revealed that the variance of the group means was of sufficient magnitude so that the null hypothesis could be rejected,
t tests were made to ascertain the.significance of differences
for individual pairs of mea.J:'1;s. 1 5
A 5% co~fficient of risk
was also adopted for the comparison of means.
II.
METHOD OF PRESENTING DATA
The remainder of this study will be devoted to findings,
summary, and conclusions.
· Findings of the survey will be reported in the following Qrder:
(a)
Inquiry into the results of the tests for signifi-
cant variance, and comparison of the rank order of seriousness
of traits by the teachers with the rank order of traits by
Wickman 1 s teachers.
(b)
Comparison of individual traits by groups of those
traits which revealed significant differences in means as
found through the
(c)
!
tests.
Comparison of group judgments as seen in the
above comparison of individual traits.
l5Lindquist, 2£•
.£!!•,
pp. 90-96.
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS, SUMMARY, AND CONCLUSIONS
I.
FINDINGS
Judgments of the groups did not reveal significant
differences in attitude toward cheating, stubbornness, and
temper tantrums, as seen in Table I.
(It might be noted that
the two last traits were the only ones whose meaning was
questioned by.the children.)
A comparison of group means in
Table II, page 18, suggests that girls tended to rate all
traits as more serious than any other group, and that teachers
showed least concern over all traits.
(See Figure 1, page 17)
Comparison of the rank order of seriousness of traits
·~
teachers with Wickman 1 s teachers 1 rank order.
Of association between the rank
ord~r
The degree
of judged seriousness
of Wickman 1 s teachers 1 ratings of behavior traits and the rank
order of teachers J ratings in the present study was .evaluated
by Spearman's rank order of correlation.
The resulting
!!!2.
was found to be .86.
This high degree of relationship of the ranks suggests
that teachers' attitudes toward the relative seriousness of
each of the selected behavior traits has apparently remained
substantially the same over the twenty-eight years since
Wickm.an 1 s report.
Table III on page 19 presents the rank
order of traits as judged by groups in this study and by
16
TABLE I
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE ON MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF
THE TRAIT "CHEATING'' BY SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS
Sum of' --- - - Mean
Source
d.f.
squares
squares
F
p
3
7.09
2.36
1.97
>.05
Within groups
331
395.73
1.20
Total
334
402.82
Between groups
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE ON MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF
THE TRAIT "STUBBORNNESS" BY SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS
Source
d.f.
Sum of
squares
Mean
squares
F
1.74
3
4.39
1.46
Within groups
331
278.83
.86
Total
334
283.22
Between groups
p
:;>.05
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE ON MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF
THE TRAIT 11 TEMPER TANTRUMS 11 BY SEVENTH AND
EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS
Source
d.f.
Sum of
squares
Mean
squares
F
1.51
3
6.46
2.15
Within groups
331
471.50
1.42
Total
334
477.96
Between groups
p
>·05
17
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Troi+s
of Roi in~ .s ~y
Pare,.ts - - - - Tcoc~crs ............... ~ ...... - ........ .
&o'f~
Girl5
• • • • ' • • •
_..... _____ _
B•1!t Qf\d Girls
Tra i+ s
B~hoviDr
Tt!'Achers>
on
Parents~
Twelve
18
TABLE II
MEAN VALUE OF TRAITS AS JUDGED BY PARENTS,
TEACHERS, BOYS AND GIRLS
Parents
Teachers
Boys
Girls
Stealing
4.32
3.54
4.19
4.48
Tattling
2.26
1.97
2.49
2.25
Lying
4.16
3.60
3.88
3.81
Carelessness
2.31
2.23
2.79
2.77
Cruelty
4.31
4.40
3.87
4.12
Fearfulness
Cheating *
2.73
3.03
1.96
2.30
3.86*
3.46*
3.54*
3.72*
Stubbornness*
2.01*
1.91*
2.19*
2.23*
Disobeying
3.09
2.74
3.49
3.60
Quarreling
2.13
2.20
2;65
2;87
Temper Tantrums*
3~04*
3.11*
3~12*
3.;38*
Unhappiness
3.44
3.46
2.74
3.41
Rudeness
3.05
2.74
3.30
3.50
Nervousness
3.10
3.09
2.42
2.36
Selfishness
2.84
2·.83
3.22
3.47
Mean of the Means
3.15
2.99
3.08
3.25
..
*Tests did not reveal significant differences.
19
TABLE III
RANK ORD.ER OF SERIOUSNESS OF TRAITS BY GROUPS
Parents
Teachers
Stea.ling
Cruelty
Stealing
Stealing
Stealing
Cruelty
Izying
Lying
Lying
Cruelty
Lying
Stea.ling
Cruelty
Cruelty
Lying
Unhappiness
Unhappiness
Disobeying
Disobeying
Disobeying
Nervousness
Nervousness
Rudeness
Rudeness
Rudeness
Disobeying
Fearfulness
Nervousness
Selfishness
Selfishness
Rudeness
Selfishness
Unhappiness
Carelessness
Unhappiness
Selfishness
Rudeness
Selfishness
Unhappiness
Quarreling
Fearfulness
Disobeying
Carelessness
Quarreling
Carelessness
Carelessness
Carelessness
Quarreling
Tattling
Nervousness
Tattling
Quarreling
Fearfulness
Nervousness
Fearfulness
Quarreling
Tattling
Tattling
Fearfulness
Tattling
..
-
W'ickman's Teachers
Boys
Girls
20
Wickrnan's teachers •
. Comparison of individual traits El_ groups.
Stealing.
As indicated in Table IV on page 27, girls
judged stealing as more serious than did boys; and girls,
boys, and parents gave a higher rating than did teachers.
Tattlii;ig.
The t tests applied to individual pairs of
means indicated that the only difference meeting the
5%
cri-
terion was between teachers and boys, with boys regarding it
more seriously.
Lying.
Parents judged lying more seriously than did
the teachers and girls, as seen in Table VI, page 29.
Carelessness. Both boys and girls rated carelessness
as more serious than did parents, and the children judged
carelessness as more serious than did the teachers, as noted
in Table VII on page 30.
Cruelty.
The widest difference indicated by Table
VIII, page 31, is between boys and teachers, with boys
regarding cruelty as less serious than did either teachers or
parents.
Fearfulness. As noted in Table IX on page 32, fearfulness was judged differently by all groups except parents
and teachers, whose ratings did not vary significantly.
Teachers rated fearfulness as more serious than did boys and
girls; parents gave higher ratings of seriousness than did
the children; and girls regarded fearfulness as more serious
21
than did parents, and they rated it much stronger in seriousness than did teachers, as seen in Table X on page 33.
Boys' scores in Table XI on page 34 on
Quarrelins;.
quarreling indicated a higher degree of seriousness than did
parents and teachers, and girls differed with the adult
opinions in regarding quarreling as more serious.
Unhappiness.
The t test in Table XII on page 35 shows
boys judged unhappiness as less serious than did parents,
teachers and girls.
Rudeness.
As seen in Table XIII on page 36, girls
rated rudeness as more serious than did parents and teachers,
and boys• judgments were higher in seriousness than were
teacher ratings.
Nervousness.
Parents and teachers judged nervousness
as more serious than did boys and girls, as indicated in
Table XIV on page 37.
Selfishness.
Table XV on page 38 points to the higher
ratings of seriousness given by girls than by parents and
teachers.
Boys judged selfishness as more serious than did
the parents.
Comparison of group judgp:ients.
Parents and teachers.
The only significant differences
between parents and teachers in attitude were found in the
parents' ratings of stealing and lying, which were more
severely rated than by teachers.
22
Parents and bols·
Boys judged carelessness, disobey-
ing, quarreling and selfishness as more serious than did
parents.
Parents, however, gave higher ratings than the
boys to cruelty, fearfulness, unhappiness, and nervousness.
Parents
~
girls.
Girls judged carelessness, disobey-
ing, quarreling, rudeness and selfishness as more serious
than did parents, but parents rated lying, fearfulness and
nervousness as more serious than did the girls.
Teachers
~
bols•
These groups revealed the great-
est areas of difference.
Of the total twelve traits, they
disagreed on ten traits.
Boys gave higher ratings to steal-
ing, tattling, carelessness, disobeying, quarreling, and
rudeness; while teachers judged cruelty, fearfulness,
unhappiness and nervousness as more serious than did the
boys.
Teachers and sirls.
Girls rated stealing, careless-
ness, disobeying, quarreling, rudeness, and selfishness as
more serious than did the teachers.
On' the other hand,
teachers gave higher ratings than the girls to fearfulness
and nervousness.
Boys and girls.
Differences in boys' and girls'
judgments were reflected only
i~
the higher girls' ratings
to stealing, fearfulness, and unhappiness.
23
II. SUMMARY
This study investigated the attitudes of 100 each of
parents, boys, and girls, and of thirty-five teachers toward
fifteen behavior traits, selected from Wickman•s study of
children's behavior and teachers• attitudes.
The traits were judged subjectively as to their influence on children's successful adjustment as a wholesome
personality.
The traits were rated for degrees of serious-
ness on a five point scale.
The population sampled was selected because of its
availability to the resources of the experimenter.
·The
sampling was taken from a suburban community relatively
secure economically, dominated by strong "family interest",
and without major problems of "Juvenile delinquencyn.
Conclusions, therefore, would be applicable to no other
population without further study.
The mean values of each trait for each group were
tested for significant differences before comparing the
attitudes of the groups.
The girls gave the highest ratings
of seriousness to the traits generally, and teachers gave
the lowest.
Least differences were found between parents and
.teachers, with opposition on sixteen and two-thirds percent
of the items.
Boys and girls revealed significant variance
24
on twenty-five percent of the traits, while the children
differed with parents on sixty-six and two-thirds percent
of the scale.
Girls differed with teachers on sixty-six
and two thirds percent of the scale, but boys and teachers
indicated the widest variance, differing on eighty-three
and one-third percent of the items compared.
Teachers gave ratings of greater seriousness for
only one aggressive trait, cruelty; and they judged as more
serious than other groups such evidences of insecurity as
fearfulness, unhappiness, and nervousness.
It is interest-
ing to note that none of the above traits is in the area
of specific transgression against authority.
Parents' more serious judgments showed parents
emphasizing equally interpersonal and intrapersonal traits;
stealing, lying, and cruelty; and fearfulness, unhappiness,
and nervousness.
Carelessness and selfishness were the only nonaggressi ve traits which were given greater seriousness by
the boys than by other groups; and the aggressive traits of
disobeying, quarreling, stealing, tattling, and rudeness
were in the majority as rated by boys.
The girls rated carelessness, selfishness, fearfulness, and unhappiness as more serious than other groups as
well as an equal number of aggressive traits of
rudeness, stealing and disobedience.
quarrel~ng,
25
The.teachers produced the least number of traits (four)
rated as more serious than by other groups.
Parents gave
greater seriousness to six, boys to seven traits, and girls
judged eight traits as more serious.
Suggestions for further research.
(a)
The behavior traits in this investigation were
selected for the subjects.
Significant information might be
drawn from inquiring into traits suggested by the children
themselves as most seriou$ in affecting successful adjustment.
(b)
It would be informative to extend this survey to
-
a similar study of parents, teachers, and children living in
more diversified areas.
(c)
A study of teachers• reactions to children's
behavior as compared with their professed attitudes could
provide valuable information.
(d)
An experiment which directed the children to rate
scales ~s-they believe (1) parents, and (2) teachers would
rate them might indicate from which group the children are
accepting their standards when compared with the children's
ratings of their own attitudes.
26
III. CONCLUSIONS
(a)
Significant differences in attitude toward
selected behavior traits and their implications for mental
health in children appear in ratings by parents, teachers,
boys and girls.
(b)
Fewer differences in-attitudes were found between
the adult groups and between the children than were found
between the .older and the younger group.
(c)
~
-
The kinds of traits that children rated as more
serious.than did parents or teachers are the kinds of behavior
for which children receive most frequent criticism in daily
living.
Children emphasized traits which relate to manners
and authority.
(d)
~
-
The differences in expressed attitudes between
children and parents suggest sources of potential conflict
and problems of communication.
(e)
traits
Teachers seem far more accepting of deviant
of behavior
-
.
than are parents, boys, and girls.
The results of this study·provided a measure of
success in obtaining a clearer understanding of influences
on the young adolescent, and further insight into the
attitudinal relationships among parents, teachers, and
children.
27
TABLE IV
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATilfGS OF THE TRAIT "STEALING" AND
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE
STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
(1) Parents
Means
Groups
Mean Differences
4.32
1 - 2
1 - 3
.78*
{2) Teachers
3.54
1 - 4
2 - 3
2 .;. 4
(3) Boys
4.19
3 - 4
(4) Girls
4~48
.13
.16
- .65*
- .94*
-
.;29 *
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
Source
d.f.
Sum of
squares
Mean
squares
F
7.65
3
23.64
7.88
Within groups
331
340.80
1.03
Total
334
367.44
Between groups
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.
p
(.05
5%
2$
TABLE V
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT"TATTLING" AND
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE
STUDENTS,, TEACHERS,, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
Mean Differences
...
(1) Parents
2.26
1 - 2.
-.3
- .23
1 - 4
.01
1
(2) Teachers
(3) Boys
(4) Girls
1.97
2.49
.29
2 - 3
- .52*
2 - 4
- .28
3 - 4
.24
.
2.25
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
Source
d.f.
of
squares
Sum
...
Between· groups
Mean·
squares
3
7.79
2.60
Within groups
331
311.96
.94
Total
334
'319.74
F
2.77
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.-
p
<·05
5%
29
TABLE VI
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT 11 LYING" AND
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVEN'rH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
(1) Parents
4.16
1
3.60
1 - 3
1 - 4
(2) Teachers
(3) Boys
3.88
f
(4) Girls
Groups
Mean Differences
.56*
- 2
.28
.35*
2 - 3
- .28
-.4
- .21
3 - 4
.07
2
3.81
«
l
t
r
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
Source
d.f.
Between groups
3
Sum of
squares
10.70
Within groups
331
377.79
Total
334
388.49
* Indicates
level. -
Mean
squa_res
F
p
3.57
3.13
< .05
.
'
1.14
the difference to be significant at the
5%
30
TABLE VII
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT "CA}\ELESSNESS 11
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGliTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
(1) Parents
2.31
1 ... 2
.• 08
(2) Teachers
2.23
1 ... 3
- .48*
(3) Boys
2.79
l
4
- .. 46 *
(4) Girls
2.77
2 - 3
- .56*
2 - 4
- .54*
.02
-
Mean Differences
3- 4
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
~
rI
Source
II
Between groups
r
of
squares
Stun
d.f.
Mean
squares
F
p
6.74
< .05
I
3
19.63
6.54
Within groups
331
319.86
.97
Total
334
339.49
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.-
5%
31
TABLE VIII
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS.OF THE TRAIT "CRUELTY" AND
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH. AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
Mean Differences
(1) Parents
4.31
1 - 2
(2) Teachers
4.40
1
- 3
(3) Boys
3.87
1
·-4
(4) Girls
4.12
2 - 3
.53*-
2 - 4
.28
3 - 4
.25
- .09
,44*
.. 19
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
of
squares
Sum
Source
d.f.
Mean
squares
3
12.56
4.19
Within groups
331
323.66
.98
Total
334
336.22
Between groups
p
F
4.28
< .05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level. -
5%
,
lt
!
i
32
TABLE IX
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATmGs OF THE TRAIT "FEARFULNESS"
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
(1) Parents
2.73
l
(2) Teachers
3.03
(3) Boys
1.96
1 - 3
1 - 4
- .30
.11*
.43 *
(4) Girls
2.30
2 - 3
1.07*-
I
'
Groups
-
Mean Differences
2
2 - 4
.73 *
3 - 4
- .34*
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
Source
d.f.
Sum of
squares
Mean
square.a
F
14.88
3
45.08
15~03
Within groups
331
333.52
1.01
Total
334
378.60
Between groups
..
p
(.05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
leve1.-
5%
33
TABLE X
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT "DISOBEYING 11
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVEN'I'H AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
(1) Parents
3.09
~
..
Groups
1 -
Mean Dif'f erences
2
.35
.
(2) Teachers
2.74
(3) Boys
3.49
- 3
1 - 4
(4) Girls
3.60
2 - 3
- .40 *
1
2
.51 *
- .74 *
.s6*
- 4
3 - 4
- .11
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
Mean
squares
d.f.
Sum of
squares
3
27.66
9.22
Within groups
331
373.87
1.13
Total
334
401.53
Source
Between groups
F
p
8.16
( .05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level. -
5%
34
TABLE XI
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT "QU.ARRELING 11
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
(1) Parents
2.13
1 - 2
- .07
(2) Teachers
2.20
1 - 3
- .52*-
(3) Boys
2.65
1 -
4
(4) Girls
2.87
2 - 3
- .74 *
- .45 *
2 - 4
- .67*
3 - 4
- .22
Mean Differences
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
of
squares
Sum
Source
d.f.
Mean
squares
3
32. 7·2
10.91
Within groups
331
328.97
.99
Total
334
361.69
Between groups
p
F
11.02
( .05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.-
5%
35
TABLE XII
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT
11 UNHAPPINESSn
.AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH ,AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENT$,, TEACHER~, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
(1) Parents
3.44
l
- 2
(2) Teachers
3.46
l
- 3
(3) Boys
2.74
1 - 4
!03
(4) Girls
3.41
2
,72*
~
Groups
Mean Differences
!02
~
.70*
- 3
2 - 4
.05
3 - 4
.67*
i'
.,,
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
i
~
r
r
d.f.
Sum of
squares
3
33~45
11.15
Within groups
331
519.76
1.57
Total
334
553.o21
Source
Between groups
Mean
squares
F
7Tl0
p
~
.05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the 5%
level. -
36
TABLE XIII
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT nRUDENESS 11
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS;,AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
(1) Parents
3.05
1 - 2
.31
(2) Teachers
2.74
1 . ;. 3
- .25
(3)
3.30
1 -
4
- .45 *
3~50
2
3
- .56*
2 - 4
- .76*
3 - 4
- .20
Boys
(4) Girls
~
Mean Differences
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
d.f.
squares
Mean
squares
3
19.32
6.44
Within groups
331
389.44
1.18
Total
334
408.76
Source
Between groups
Sum of
p
F
5.48
~.05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.-
I
I
li,
t
5%
37
TABLE XIV
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT "NERVOUSNESSn
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
(1) Parents
3.10
1 - 2
.01
(2) Teachers
3.09
.68*
(3) Boys
2.42
1 - 3
1 - 4
(4) Girls
2.36
2
Mean Differences
.74*
.67 *
- 3
2 4
.73*
3 - 4
.06
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
r
d.f.
of
squares
Mean
squares
3
40.39
13.46
1.15
Sum
Source
~
t
Between groups
t
Within groups
331
379.14
Total
334
419.53
II
p
F
11.70
(.05
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.·
5%
38
TABLE XV
MEAN SERIOUSNESS RATINGS OF THE TRAIT nsELFISHNESS"
AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH
GRADE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS
Group
Means
Groups
(1) Parents
2.84
1 - 2
.01
(2) Teachers
2.83
1 ... 3
- .38*
(3) Boys
3.22
1 - 4
.. .63*
(4) Girls
3.47
2 - 3
- .39
2 - 4
- .64*
3 - 4
- .25
Mean Differences
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE
Source
Between groups
d.f •.
3
Sum of
squares
23.93·
Within groups
331
428.48
Total
334
452.41
Mean
squares
F
7.98
6.19
p
(.05
1.29
*Indicates the difference to be significant at the
level.-
5%
39
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baker, H. J., and Traphagen, v., The Di~nosis and Treatment
of Behavior Pr0blem Children.-:-New C5rk: The MacMillan
Company, 1935.
I'
Corey, Stephen M. "Measuring Attitudes in the Classroomu,
Elementary School Journal, XLIII (April, 1943), 457 ~ 461.
-
'
"Professed Attitudes and Actual Behavior", Journal of
--Educational Psycholo5y, XXVIII (1937), 271-280.
-
-
-
'
Farnsworth, Paul R. 11 Shifts in the Values of Opinion
Items, 11 Journal of Psychology, XVI (July, 1943)., 125-128.
~
Havighurst, R. J., and Taba, H., Adolescent Character and
Personality. New York: John Wiley and Sons, !949-:-Larsen, Harold D. Rinehart Mathematical Tables.
Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1948.
New York:
Lindquist, E. F. Design and Analysis of Experiments in Psychology and Education.- B'Oston: Houghton MifflinCompany
1953.
-
McNemar, Quinn. · "Opinion-Attitude Methodolog:y",
Psychological.Bulletin, XLIII (July, 1946), 289 - 374.
-
-
Mitchell, J. c. "A Study of Teacher's and Mental Hygienists'
Ratings of Certain Behavior Problems of Children,"
Journal of Educational Research, {1943) JP(XVI, 292-307.
-
~
.
Remmers, H. H., and Weltman, Naomi. "Attitude InterRelationships of Youth, Their Parents, and Their Teachers, 11
Journal 2£ Social Psycholo~y, XXVI, (1947),.61 - 67.
.
-
-
Rogers, C. R. "A Study of the Mental Health Problems in
Three Representative Elementary Schools, 11 AStudy of
Health and Physical Education in Columbus Public Schools,
Bureau of Educational Research Monograph, (Columbus,
Ohio: Ohio State University, 1942), No. XX:V, 130-161.
Sherman, M. Basic Problems of Behavior.
mans, Green and Company, 1941 .
New York:
Long-
Smith, Helen H. nThe Santa Barbara Behavior Rating Scale 11 ,
Journal of Educational Research, XXXVII (March, 1944),
500-511.
~~
-'------
·-~
- '
-~-~--
---~c---
- --
_-,
40
Tenenbaum, s. "Attitudes of Elementary School Children to
School Teachers and Classmates," Journal of Applied
Psychology, XXVIII (1944), 134-141.
...
...
-
Thurstone, L. L., and Chave, E. J., The Measurement of
Attitude. Chicago: University of Chicago Fress;-1929.
1
Wickman, E. K.· Children's Behavior and Teacher Attitudes.
New York.: The Commonwealth FUnd;-1928.
~
I
-....
~
i
~
....
"
...
r
41
EXHIBIT A
RATING SCALE
Instructions: Most people feel that the kinds of behavior listed below
affect a boy's or girl's ability to lead a normal life as a wholesome
personality. Everyone, however, has different ideas on "how much" each
kind of behavior affects norm.al living as a wholesome personality.
If you had a
from "extremely serious" to
hurts. Do the same for the
putting a circle around the
1. Stealing
2. Tattling
3. !\Ying
4. Carelessness
5. Cruelty
6. Fearfulness
7. Chea.ting
8. .Stubbornness
9. Disobeying
10. Quarreling
ll. Temper tantrums
12. Unhappiness
13. Rudeness
14. Nervousness
15. Selfishness
toothache, you might deseribe it all the way
"not serious .. , depending on how much it
way you feel about each kind of behavior by
number which indicates how you feel about it •
.•
.
.••
.••
....
:
•
:
•
•
•
Not ·:Slightly:
: Very :Extremely:
:Serious:Serious :Serious:Serious: Serious .
•
..•
.
.: 1 .• 2 . 3 . 4 : 5 ..•
2
l
.• 3 ..:. 4 .• 5 ..
:
.•• l •••• 2 . 3 .• 4 .• 5 .•••
... 3 .. 4 . 5 ..•
:
:
1
2
.
..: 1 ..• 2 .. 3 .: 4 .: 5 .
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42
EXHIBIT B
Dear Parent:
There is a great deal of concern about children's
problems, but not much information with which to work.
In
an effort to gain more understanding of some of the problems
involved, I am asking parents, teachers, and school children
to mark the attached scale according to the way they feel.
There are no right or wrong answers, and I would
appreciate your not putting your name on the paper.
Your
careful cooperation in filling it out and sending it in the
enclosed envelope will be greatly appreciated.
It is important that you mark the scale before
discussing it with anyone as your own feelings about the
traits are of greatest value.
Sincerely,
Louise Bachtold
Teacher, Arden School
43
EXHIBIT C
Dear Teachers:
I am enlisting your help in securing information
for my study of teacher's, children's, and
pa~ents•
attitudes
'
toward behavior.
Please complete the attached rating sheet before
discussing the items with anyone.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Louise Bachtold