Asking a child for help

In an investigation of help-requesting behavior, 26 college-age subjects were given a spelling test during which approximately half could ask for help from a child, the rest from a same-aged adult. Though both helpers were presented as equally competent spellers, subjects asked for help less frequently from the child than from the adult. This reluctance to ask a child for help appeared to be due to embarrassment at requesting help from a social inferior. Results were discussed in terms of further research on the role of embarrassment and perceived status in help-seeking interactions.