Noncontingent warmth induction, cognitive style, and children's imitative donation and rescue effort behaviors

Examined how adult warmth effects reflective and impulsive children's imitative donation and rescue effort (willingness to call for help for a distressed peer). 72 1st grade males' reflectivity or impulsivity was measured on the Matching Familiar Figures Test. Later, Ss interacted with either a noncontingently high- or low-warmth adult prior to helping opportunities. Half of the Ss participated in a 2 * 2 design to assess the effect of warmth and conceptual tempo on imitative donation, and all Ss participated in a 2 * 2 * 2 design to assess the effect of these variables and prior donation on rescue effort. Results indicate that (a) high as compared to low warmth decreased imitative donation but increased rescue effort, (b) impulsive Ss tended to be more generous than reflective Ss, and (c) donation and rescue effort were not related. (20 ref)