IDENTIFIERS Helping Behavior

A study was conducted to determine the frequency Of three types of prosocial interactions--empathi, helping, and altruism--which nonhandicapped pteschool children could exhibit toward their haddicapped peers. Subjects were 32 nonhandicapped 4- to 5-year-olds and 13 deVelopmentally'disabled 3- to 5-year-olds attending a mainstreamed preschool classroom. Each of the 32 nonhandicapped subjects was observed in the classroom for six separate 10-minute intervals over a 6-week period, for a total of 32 hours of observation. During this period,'a trained observer recorded each time the nonhandicapped child exhibited ozre)of the three types of prosocial behavior, noting whether the behavior was directed toward a female or male peer and whether or not the peer was handicapped. In addition, nonhanditapped children weie interviewed concerning their motivation for prosocial behavior. Results obtained from the observation data indicated that handicapped children wer