Developing Correspondence between Children's Words and Deeds

ISRAEL, ALLEN C., and O'LEARY, K. D. Developing Correspondence between Children's Words and Deeds. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1973, 44, 575-581. Preschool children in a free-play situation experienced 1 of 2 training sequences: saying then doing, or doing then saying. The effect of these training sequences on the development of a correspondence between children's verbal and nonverbal behaviors was examined in 2 experiments. Increases in correspondence were found to be a function of the reinforcement contingency and the sequence of behaviors. Reinforcers contingent upon verbal behavior were not sufficient to produce increases in both verbal and nonverbal behaviors (correspondence). Increased correspondence occurred when reinforcers were contingent upon both behaviors and with a say-do sequence. The do-say sequence produced high levels of correspondence only after previous say-do training. Experiment 2 examined the effects of reinforcing the 2 sequences without a portion of the training procedures included in experiment 1. Once again the say-do sequence produced higher levels of correspondence. The results are discussed in terms of the development of verbal self-control and implications for intervention programs.