THE DEVELOPMENT OF LISTENER-ADAPTED COMPLIANCE-RESISTING STRATEGIES

The study investigates the development of compliance-resisting behaviors as a function of the underlying level of perspective-taking reflected in the structure of subjects' strategies. First-, fourth-, and tenth-grade children generated compliance-resisting strategies in response to three communication situations. Each task situation was associated with a different age/status agent (mother, peer, younger child). Additionally, each scenario varied the type of strategy used to gain compliance (simple request, incentive request, altruistic request). Results support a significant positive association between the three major independent variables (age of subject, type of request, and agent of request) and the degree of perspective-taking evidenced in subject-generated compliance-resisting strategies.