Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Children’s Problem Behaviors

Preservice teachers’ perceptions of social immaturity and defiance behaviors among children were assessed in response to hypothetical situations. Dependent variables included teacher tolerance, attributions as to the causes of behavior, adverse effects or costs of problem behaviors, and choice of a strategy to manage the behaviors. Subjects were more tolerant of socially immature behaviors than defiance behaviors. Both types of behavior were attributed to internal, controllable, and unstable causes. Social defiance behaviors were seen as having more adverse effects. Subjects were oriented toward helping children with both types of behavior but were more likely to restrict children with social defiance behaviors. Level of training had little effect on the subjects’ perceptions of the problem behaviors.