Effects of gender and education levels of child care worker on attributions of repremand effectiveness.

Abstract

The present study assessed perceptions of different reprimand techniques of 42 child care workers employed by two juvenile detention centers in the State of Kansas. Ten male and 10 female high school graduate child care workers and 12 male and 10 female college graduate child care workers watched three videotaped scenarios showing a transgression followed by one of three types of reprimand (retributive, restitutive, explanatory). Subjects then completed a questionnaire comparing the three reprimand conditions in terms of leniency, effectiveness, self-endorsement and peer approval. The data for all four ratings were analyzed utilizing Education (high school versus college), Gender, and Reprimand as control variables. The Reprimand effects were significant for both the effectiveness and leniency ratings. Specifically, the explanatory reprimand was rated significantly less effective as well as less severe than the other two types of reprimand. The evaluation of Education effects at specific Reprimand levels revealed significant differences for only the endorsement rating. Although high school graduates endorsed retributive reprimands significantly higher than college graduates, the opposite was found for the explanatory reprimand. The evaluation of Reprimand effects by specific levels of Education indicated high school graduates endorsed the explanatory reprimand significantly less than the other two reprimands. In contrast, college graduates only significantly endorsed the restitutive reprimand higher than the retributive reprimand. Data analysis of the peer approval rating yielded a significant interaction for Gender by Education by Reprimand. Specifically, male high school graduates rated peers to approve restitutive reprimand significantly more than explanatory or retributive reprimands. Similarly, female high school graduates also rated the restitutive reprimand, and in addition, the retributive reprimand to receive more peer approval than the explanatory reprimand.