BIRTH ORDER AND SOCIAL REINFORCER EFFECTIVENESS IN CHILDREN.

Abstract

The hypothesis was advanced that first-borns are more satiated on social reinforcers than are later-borns. Employing this hypothesis, in conjunction with the Brown-Farber formulation, concerning the motivating effects of frustration, two predictions were made: (a) first-hborns would play a simple satiation-type game for a shorter period of time than would later-borns when the game was played under a support condition, and (b) first-borns playing the game under a nonsupport condition would play for a longer period of time than first-borns playing under a support condition, while the reverse would be true for later-borns. Twenty first-born and 20 later-born children were randomly assigned to play a simple Marble-in-the-Hole game under either a support or nonsupport condition. The findings supported the predictions made.