Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of overt and covert self-instruction on the waiting behavior. Two groups of preschoolers, 3-4 and 5-6 year-olds, and first graders participated in this study. Two types of tests were administered to assess children's waiting behavior. In renunciation test, children were instructed either to wait to play with more favorite toys or to stop waiting and to play with less favorite toys. In transgression test, children were prohibited from playing with the favorite toys until the experimenter's permission. Children were assigned to one of three conditions: overt self-instruction, covert self-instruction, and control conditions. The content of self-instruction was to wait in a renunciation test or not to touch the toys in a transgression test. Overt self-instruction had effects on waiting behavior for all three groups, but covert self-instruction had effects only on waiting behavior in the case of first graders.
