Abstract

Two experiments using industriousness as dependent variable were conducted to confirm the powerful effect of concern for mother on self-control in working hard setting. Fifth grade right-handed children who were treated with one of three experimental conditions copied mirror-image letters with their left hand. This task was very laborious and tedious to children. Industriousness in performing task was measured based on individual performance in exercise session. Children participating in experiment 1 showed different patterns of performance according to their sex. Male children in the condition of reward for mother performed more ardently than those both in reward for self condition and in control condition. But there were no difference in performance among conditions in female children. In experiment 2 making exercise time longer, there disappeared the sex difference found in experiment 1. The result of experiment 2 was identical with the result of obtained in male subjects in experiment 1. The result of this study was consistent with previous findings(Chong, 1994). This result supported Chong's proposal for sources of self-control(1994): The effect of self-control to get one's own benefit is limited but the effect of self-control to give benefit to significant other is powerful.