To investigate the effect of modeling on altruism, 156 third and fifth grade children were exposed to a model who either shared with them, gave to a charity, or refused to share. The test apparatus, identified as a game, consisted of a box with signal lights and a chute through which marbles were dispensed. Subjects and the model played the game twice. The first time the model won and disposed of prize marbles in one of three ways. The second time the subject won and was free to dispose of or save prize marbles. The subjects' subsequent sharing with the model, sharing with Mental Health or a Toys for Tots charity, or their refusal to share was observed through a one-way mirror in the test van. Subjects also responded to a questionnaire designed to assess the salience of a norm of altruism. Both specific and generalized imitation of altruism were found and salience of sharing appeared to be strongly related to actual sharing and weakly related to experimental conditions. (Author/WY)