Diagnostik von Kontingenzerfahrungen in der fruehen Kindheit. Forschungsbericht Rapport Scientifique. Nr. 68. (Methods of Social Contingency Analysis. FB Nr. 68).

Written in German, this article demonstrates the influence of different types of contingency information on the development of infant's locus of control and causal attribution, and discusses empirical models for calculating contingency parameters of the microsocial environment of infants, toddlers, and preschool children. Models discussed include: (1) Watson's (1979) bidirectional contingency analysis; (2) Perrez and Ischi's (1983) visual analysis of contingency relationships; and (3) Patterson's (1978) and Westmeyer and others' (1984) approach to the measurement of control reaction classes. In order to study the social control possibilities of preschool children, a geometric presentation method based on Seligman's (1979) model of reaction-contingency space was developed. The method is described. Through tangential transposition of the contingency relationships of defined reaction classes, the method enables the geometrical representation of the extent of control. (RH)