| Abstract: | Previous research has shown that kindergarten children often appear uncertain or confused when they try to execute inadequate instructions but then go on to indicate that they had succeeded in doing what the instructor intended and that the instructions had been adequate. The present study was conducted with 72 kindergartners to test this research. Results confirm these findings and demonstrate that Ss' positive evaluations of inadequate messages were not due to forgetting their initial uncertainty. Extra emphasis on the ambiguous nature of the instructions helped Ss realize that they might not have succeeded in doing what the instructor intended them to, but it did not help them realize that the instructions had been inadequate. In contrast, emphasizing exactly what they were to achieve did not help them recognize either their possible failure in the task or the inadequacy of the instructions. Ss' performance resulted from a poor understanding of message quality and the role it plays in determining the success or failure of a communication. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
