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Rose L, Kovarski K, Caetta F, Makowski D, Chokron S. Beyond empathy: Cognitive capabilities increase or curb altruism in middle childhood. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 239:105810. [PMID: 37981466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Altruistic behavior, which intentionally benefits a recipient without expectation of a reward or at a cost to the actor, is observed throughout the lifespan from everyday interactions to emergency situations. Empathy has long been considered a major driver of altruistic action, but the social information processing model supports the idea that other cognitive processes may also play a role in altruistic intention and behavior. Our aim was to investigate how visual analysis, attention, inhibitory control, and theory of mind capabilities uniquely contribute to predicting altruistic intention and behavior in a sample of 67 French children (35 girls and 32 boys; Mage = 9.92 ± 0.99 years) from Paris and neighboring suburbs. Using a Bayesian analysis framework, we showed that in younger grade levels visual analysis and selective attention are strong predictors of altruistic intention and that inhibitory control strongly predicts altruistic behavior in a dictator game. Processes underlying theory of mind, however, negatively predict altruistic behavior in the youngest grade. In higher grade levels, we found that stronger attention and inhibitory control predicts lower altruistic intention and behavior. Empathy was not found to predict altruistic intention or behavior. These results suggest that different cognitive capabilities are involved in altruistic intention and behavior and that their contribution changes throughout middle childhood as social constraints deepen and altruism calls on more complex reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Rose
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France.
| | - Klara Kovarski
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France; Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et NeuroCognition, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l'éducation (INSPE), 75005 Paris, France; Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Éducation de l'enfant (LaPsyDé), Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Florent Caetta
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France; Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et NeuroCognition, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France
| | | | - Sylvie Chokron
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France; Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et NeuroCognition, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France
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2
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Sobel DM, Kamper DG, Song JH. Distinct Inhibitory-Control Processes Underlie Children's Judgments of Fairness. Psychol Sci 2024; 35:93-107. [PMID: 38190225 DOI: 10.1177/09567976231217420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
We examined how 5- to 8-year-olds (N = 51; Mage = 83 months; 27 female, 24 male; 69% White, 12% Black/African American, 8% Asian/Asian American, 6% Hispanic, 6% not reported) and adults (N = 18; Mage = 20.13 years; 11 female, 7 male) accepted or rejected different distributions of resources between themselves and others. We used a reach-tracking method to track finger movement in 3D space over time. This allowed us to dissociate two inhibitory processes. One involved pausing motor responses to detect conflict between observed information and how participants thought resources should be divided; the other involved resolving the conflict between the response and the alternative. Reasoning about disadvantageous inequities involved more of the first system, and this was stable across development. Reasoning about advantageous inequities involved more of the second system and showed more of a developmental progression. Generally, reach tracking offers an on-line measure of inhibitory control for the study of cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Sobel
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | - David G Kamper
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | - Joo-Hyun Song
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
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3
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Zhang J, Valencia Botto S, Rochat P. Altruism and hyperaltruism in children of three cultures. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 234:105708. [PMID: 37257371 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Children's inclination to prioritize others' welfare over their own (hyperaltruism) was investigated from a developmental and cross-cultural perspective. The distribution of rewarding or aversive items to self and another child was probed in 3- to 14-year-old children (final sample: N = 158; 87 girls) from urban China (n = 51; Mage = 9.1 years, SD = 1.81; 27 girls), urban United States (n = 55; Mage = 8.89 years, SD = 2.18; 30 girls), and rural Samoa (n = 52; Mage = 8.6 years, SD = 2.61; 30 girls). In two counterbalanced conditions, the children were first asked to split either rewards (stickers or treats) or potentially harmful insects (biting bugs) with another child. In a third condition, children were asked to choose various levels of hypothetical pain to be inflicted on either themselves or another child in exchange for commensurate rewards. Results indicated that in conditions where children distributed rewards, older children were more egalitarian (i.e., gave an equal number of candies to self and other) compared with younger children. However, in conditions where they needed to allocate potential harm, older children displayed more altruism (taking more harm onto themselves so that others could be spared). These results varied by culture, where Chinese children showed more altruism, U.S. children were more egalitarian, and Samoan children showed no clear patterns of either egalitarianism or altruism. The results show that although there are some universal trends toward egalitarian and altruistic ways of sharing, significant group differences exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyi Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | | | - Philippe Rochat
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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4
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Kelsey CM. A novel(ty) perspective of fear bias. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e66. [PMID: 37154378 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x22001856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Grossmann presents an exciting and interesting theory on the function of fearfulness. In this commentary it is argued that fearfulness may be a byproduct of a larger executive functioning network and these early regulatory skills considered more broadly may be key building blocks for later cooperative behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Malory Kelsey
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Barragan‐Jason G, Hopfensitz A. Self‐control is negatively linked to prosociality in young children. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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6
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Lee C, Song HJ. Priming Behavioral Control Enhances Sharing in Preschoolers. Front Psychol 2022; 13:892382. [PMID: 35880188 PMCID: PMC9307960 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.892382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although young children demonstrate knowledge of fairness norms, their actual sharing is often inconsistent with their understanding. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is the failure of behavioral control in young children. Thus, the present research manipulated behavioral control experimentally and examined its effect on the sharing behavior in 3- to 4-year-olds (N = 64). Children were randomly assigned to either the behavioral control or the neutral prime conditions. In the behavioral control prime condition, the children listened to a story in which a protagonist exerted behavioral control actively, refraining from eating candies. In the neutral prime condition, the children listened to a story in which a protagonist did not explicitly engage in behavioral control. The children then participated in the dictator game. The experimenter asked the children to share as many stickers as they wanted or should with an anonymous child. Children in the behavioral control prime condition shared more stickers than those in the neutral prime condition. However, the two groups did not differ in their judgments of fairness and emotional experiences. The current research provides evidence that preschoolers’ sharing behaviors can be facilitated by behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hyun-joo Song
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Hyun-joo Song,
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Lie-Panis J, André JB. Cooperation as a signal of time preferences. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212266. [PMID: 35473379 PMCID: PMC9043704 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many evolutionary models explain why we cooperate with non-kin, but few explain why cooperative behaviour and trust vary. Here, we introduce a model of cooperation as a signal of time preferences, which addresses this variability. At equilibrium in our model (i) future-oriented individuals are more motivated to cooperate, (ii) future-oriented populations have access to a wider range of cooperative opportunities, and (iii) spontaneous and inconspicuous cooperation reveal stronger preference for the future, and therefore inspire more trust. Our theory sheds light on the variability of cooperative behaviour and trust. Since affluence tends to align with time preferences, results (i) and (ii) explain why cooperation is often associated with affluence, in surveys and field studies. Time preferences also explain why we trust others based on proxies for impulsivity, and, following result (iii), why uncalculating, subtle and one-shot cooperators are deemed particularly trustworthy. Time preferences provide a powerful and parsimonious explanatory lens, through which we can better understand the variability of trust and cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Lie-Panis
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, EHESS, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France.,LTCI, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91120 Palaiseau, France.,Université de Paris, EURIP Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Research, 75004 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste André
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, EHESS, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
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Gandotra A, Kotyuk E, Bizonics R, Khan I, Petánszki M, Cserjesi R, Kiss L, Paulina L. An exploratory study of the relationship between motor skills and indicators of cognitive and socio-emotional development in preschoolers. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2022.2028617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Gandotra
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA ELTE Lendület Adaptation Research Group, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Kotyuk
- MTA ELTE Lendület Adaptation Research Group, Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Róbert Bizonics
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Imran Khan
- NIMHANS, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Minka Petánszki
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Renata Cserjesi
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lilian Kiss
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laurp Paulina
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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Chajes JR, Grossmann T, Vaish A. Fairness takes time: Development of cooperative decision making in fairness context. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 216:105344. [PMID: 35030385 PMCID: PMC8851981 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The current study examined the development of fairness behavior and tested whether children's fair choices are fast and intuitive or slow and deliberate. Reaction times were measured while 4- to 9-year-olds (N = 94, 49 girls, 84.6% White) completed a novel social decision-making task contrasting fair choices with selfish choices. Fairness behavior increased during childhood, shifting from predominantly selfish choices among young children to fair choices by 7 years of age. Moreover, young children's fair choices were slow and deliberate, whereas reaction times did not predict older children's choices. These findings contrast with adults' intuitive cooperation and point to protracted development and learning of cooperative decision making in fairness contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna R Chajes
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
| | - Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Amrisha Vaish
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
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Wang X, Auyeung B, Pan N, Lin LZ, Chen Q, Chen JJ, Liu SY, Dai MX, Gong JH, Li XH, Jing J. Empathy, Theory of Mind, and Prosocial Behaviors in Autistic Children. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:844578. [PMID: 35401285 PMCID: PMC8990907 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.844578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research has suggested that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display fewer prosocial behaviors, and the role of empathy or Theory of Mind (ToM) in prosocial behaviors of autistic children remains unclear. METHODS Data were obtained from an ongoing longitudinal study in Guangzhou, China. A total of 96 autistic children and 167 typically developing (TD) children were enrolled. Prosocial behaviors were assessed using a subscale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and Dictator Game (DG) paradigm with stickers as incentives. Empathic traits and ToM ability were measured using the children's Empathy Quotient and the Chinese version of ToM toolkit. Generalized linear models were used to assess the differences of prosocial behaviors and empathic traits, ToM ability between the two groups and the associations between empathic traits, ToM ability and prosocial behaviors in autistic children. RESULTS Compared with TD children, autistic children exhibited worse ToM ability and performed less pro-socially in the DG paradigm, while there were no differences regarding empathic traits. In autistic children, empathic traits especially affective empathy, were positively associated with parent-reported prosocial behaviors [β = 0.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.07-0.27; β = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.33-0.60]. ToM ability was associated with DG paradigm (β = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.16-1.89). CONCLUSION Autistic children showed less pro-sociality and ToM ability than TD children. In autistic children, empathic trait was associated with parent-reported prosocial behaviors while their ToM ability was associated with prosocial behaviors in experimental condition. Our findings indicated that better ToM ability and empathic trait might promote prosocial behaviors in autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ning Pan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Zi Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Jie Chen
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si-Yu Liu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mei-Xia Dai
- Department of Children's Healthcare and Mental Health Center, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian-Hua Gong
- Maternity and Children Health Care Hospital of Luohu District, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiu-Hong Li
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Distributive Behavior Differences Between Ingroup and Outgroup and the Influence of Inhibitory Control and Intelligence on Preschoolers’ Distributive Behavior. ADONGHAKOEJI 2021. [DOI: 10.5723/kjcs.2021.42.3.399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and characteristics of distributive behavior in preschoolers, influence of inhibitory control and intelligence on the distributive behavior, and associations between them.Methods: The data was collected through a one-on-one interview experiment with 328 children aged 3–5 years old attending daycare centers and kindergartens. The distributive behavior was measured by modifying the procedure of the dictator game. Children’s cognitive and emotional inhibitory control (IC) were assessed using the day-night task and the reverse compensation task respectively. The intelligence was assessed using the K-WPPSI short form test. Pearson's correlation, paired samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, McNemar test, multiple regression, and the verification of mediation were performed to analyze the dataResults: First, there were differences among boys in resource allocation according to the type of group (in-group vs. outgroup). That is, boys aged four and five gave more resources to classmates rather than anonymous children. Second, cognitive IC and performance intelligence were associated with distributive behavior towards anonymous children. However, only performance intelligence was related to the children’s distributive behavior towards their classmates. Lastly, performance intelligence was completely mediated in the association between cognitive IC and distributive behavior towards anonymous children.Conclusion: We provide empirical evidence that cognitive IC and thinking skills necessary for performance intelligence were related to distributive behavior towards outgroup. In particular, boys aged four and five tended to consider more social relations in distributive behavior. This may be useful information for teaching altruism and sharing in early childhood.
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12
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Ringshaw JE, Hamilton K, Malcolm-Smith S. Theory of Mind and Moral Decision-Making in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1693-1711. [PMID: 34105048 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05055-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been linked to Theory of Mind (ToM) deficits. However, little research has investigated the relationship between ToM and moral decision-making in children with ASD. This study compared moral decision-making and ToM between aggregate-matched ASD and neurotypical boys (n = 38 per group; aged 6-12). In a third-party resource allocation task manipulating recipient merit, wealth, and health, neurotypical children allocated significantly more resources to the morally deserving recipient, suggesting equitable allocation. A comparatively larger portion of the ASD group allocated equally. ToM emerged as a predictor of moral decision-making. We suggest that ToM (cognitive empathy) deficits may underly atypical moral decision-making in ASD by limiting the integration of empathic arousal (affective empathy) with moral information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Ringshaw
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. .,ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Katie Hamilton
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Susan Malcolm-Smith
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Plötner M, Hepach R, Over H, Carpenter M, Tomasello M. Young children share more under time pressure than after a delay. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248121. [PMID: 33724998 PMCID: PMC7963052 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Adults under time pressure share with others generously, but with more time they act more selfishly. In the current study, we investigated whether young children already operate in this same way, and, if so, whether this changes over the preschool and early school age years. We tested 144 children in three age groups (3-, 5-, and 7-year olds) in a one-shot dictator game: Children were given nine stickers and had the possibility to share stickers with another child who was absent. Children in the Time Pressure condition were instructed to share quickly, whereas children in the Delay condition were instructed to take time and consider their decision carefully. Across ages, children in the Time Pressure condition shared significantly more stickers than children in the Delay condition. Moreover, the longer children waited, the less they shared. Thus, children, like adults, are more prosocial when acting spontaneously than after considering their decision more carefully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Plötner
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert Hepach
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet Over
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Malinda Carpenter
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Tomasello
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
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14
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Lenz S, Paulus M. Friendship is more than strategic reciprocity: Preschoolers' selective sharing with friends cannot be reduced to strategic concerns. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 206:105101. [PMID: 33639575 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigated whether children share especially much with their friends when sharing can be reciprocated (strategic sharing) or whether friendship and strategic reciprocity are independent factors in predicting children's sharing. If the former is the case, children should prefer their friend relatively more in a situation where the friend can reciprocate than in a situation without the possibility for reciprocity. In two experiments, 3- and 5-year-old participants (N = 270) could distribute stickers between themselves and three recipients: a friend, a child who would join the kindergarten group the next day, and a stranger. Half of the children were led to believe that their generosity could be reciprocated, and the other half were not. In Experiment 1, this was implemented by anonymous and nonanonymous sharing. In Experiment 2, the possibility of reciprocity or lack thereof was explicitly mentioned. The results show that participants across both age groups shared more resources with their friend than with less familiar recipients. Potential reciprocity affected 5-year-olds' sharing but not 3-year-olds' sharing-but only if reciprocity was explicitly mentioned (Experiment 2). Importantly, the preference for the friend was independent of the possibility to be reciprocated for all children. The current study shows that friendship and strategic reciprocity are relevant but probably largely independent factors for children's sharing. That is, the preference to share with friends cannot be reduced to strategic considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Lenz
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, 80802 Munich, Germany.
| | - Markus Paulus
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, 80802 Munich, Germany
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15
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Meng X, Moriguchi Y. Neural basis for egalitarian sharing in five-to six-year-old children. Neuropsychologia 2021; 154:107787. [PMID: 33577876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Preferring fair resource distribution reflects human cooperative nature, but its neural correlates in young children are not well known. We investigated the neural mechanism of egalitarian resource sharing in five-to six-year-old children to examine the possibility that early egalitarianism requires behavioral control to inhibit selfish impulses. In Study 1, children participated in a behavioral control task in which they either needed or did not need to inhibit their impulsive behavioral responses in order to quickly press a key. They subsequently allocated their resources to strangers by choosing a 2:2, 3:1, or 4:0 distribution. The activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal (dlpfc) regions was recorded by functional near-infrared spectroscopy measurements. We found that dlpfc regions were activated during cognitive tasks involving behavioral control and also during the equal, but not the more selfish, allocations. There was no difference among these allocations. The results did not show evidence of an ego depletion effect on children's sharing behavior, which predicts that children will share less after their behavioral control is taxed in a cognitive task (i.e., their self-control resource depleted). Study 2 showed no activation of the dlpfc regions during third-party equal allocations in which there was no conflict between fairness and self-interest in the distribution of resources. Overall, we showed that costly equal sharing in young children relates to the activation of dlpfc regions. These results suggest that costly equal allocation has a common neural basis with behavioral control in five-to six-year-old children, implying that early egalitarian sharing requires dealing with conflicts between maximizing self-interest and following moral norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwei Meng
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan; Center of Baby Science, Doshisha University, 4-1-1 Kizugawadai, Kizugawashi, Kyoto, 619-0225, Japan.
| | - Yusuke Moriguchi
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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Vilalva S, Löhr SS, Guedes M. Comportamento Altruísta na Infância: O que a Literatura nos Mostra. PSICOLOGIA: TEORIA E PESQUISA 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/0102.3772e373514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Resumo Uma variedade de comportamentos altruístas diferenciados tem sido evidenciada na infância. O presente artigo objetivou sistematizar estudos empíricos produzidos nos anos de 2010 a 2015 sobre o altruísmo infantil. Após a elaboração e aplicação de um protocolo sistematizado de seleção, foram encontrados 14 artigos, os quais foram analisados na íntegra. Os estudos contemplaram o altruísmo infantil (1 a 11 anos de idade) em associação a diferentes variáveis, tais como avaliação moral, custos de resposta, renda familiar, distância social, capacidade de abster-se de prêmios imediatos, eventos adversos, representações de apego, dominância social, composição genética, entre outras. Concluiu-se que crianças ainda muito jovens em contextos variados demonstram altruísmo por meio de ações topograficamente diversas à medida que encontram oportunidades para isso.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suellen Vilalva
- Faculdade Herrero, Brasil; Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brasil
| | | | - Matheus Guedes
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brasil; Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, Brasil
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17
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Kubinyi E, Szánthó F, Gilmert E, Iotchev IB, Miklósi Á. Human Expressions of Object Preference Affect Dogs' Perceptual Focus, but Not Their Action Choices. Front Psychol 2020; 11:588916. [PMID: 33240181 PMCID: PMC7677580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.588916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by work on infants, we investigated whether dogs’ behaviors are guided by human displays of preference, contrasting with the animals’ own choices. In a rewarded fetching task, dogs override their own interest toward “disgusting” objects and retrieve what the owner prefers. However, in previous research, both objects were inherently neutral to the dogs and they might have chosen the owner’s object because a “happy owner” predicts a positive outcome. If dogs are indeed able to override their own interests, we expected them to fetch the owner’s object even if (1) they would prefer another one and (2) do not receive a reward for it. Two objects were compared, a toy (hoop) and a bracelet. After establishing that the toy was preferred by all dogs in an initial test of preference, we applied a two-choice procedure to test if either fetching or looking at the objects from a distance would be affected by the owner’s choice. In Study 1, the owner demonstrated happiness toward the bracelet and disgust toward the toy with both facial and body gestures accompanied by verbalizations. Then the owner asked the dog to fetch, without providing additional guiding cues. All dogs fetched the toy, indicating that their own choice was not overcome by the positive emotional state signaled by the owner. To avoid direct contact with the objects, in Study 2 we placed the objects on an unreachable spot after the emotion demonstration and measured the duration of looking at the objects. In the “bracelet” (non-matching) group the owners demonstrated happiness toward the bracelet and disgust toward the toy, similar to Study 1. In the “toy” (matching) group the owners showed happiness toward the toy and disgust toward the bracelet. When the objects were placed on the unreachable spot, dogs looked at both objects for the same amount of time in the non-matching group, but longer at the toy in the matching group. Although the studies did not demonstrate that dogs override their own preferences for an object, the results suggested that the owners’ expressed preference was perceived by the dogs and guided their perceptual focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Kubinyi
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Flóra Szánthó
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Elodie Gilmert
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris 13, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Ivaylo B Iotchev
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethological Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
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18
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Traverso L, Viterbori P, Usai MC. Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Theory of Mind and Executive Functions. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2020.1828425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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19
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Dale R, Marshall-Pescini S, Range F. What matters for cooperation? The importance of social relationship over cognition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11778. [PMID: 32678194 PMCID: PMC7366628 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68734-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperation is vital for the survival of many species and has been extensively researched at the ultimate level however, there is a considerable degree of variation within a given species in the extent of cooperative behaviours exhibited. Possible factors that have been discussed to contribute to this variation are the social relationship between the cooperating individuals, but also non-social factors such as inhibitory control. Investigating the performance of wolves, a highly cooperative species, in three experimental cooperative tasks; a coordination (string-pulling) task, a prosocial task and an inequity aversion task, we found that the social relationship between the partners had the largest effects on all tasks, while non-social factors (inhibition, learning speed, causal understanding and persistence) had rather unpredicted, or no effects. The results support the potential importance of relational factors, rather than motivation and cognitive abilities, in driving cooperative interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Dale
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
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20
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Yang C, Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhang X, Liu Y, Chen H. The Effect of Sense of Community Responsibility on Residents' Altruistic Behavior: Evidence from the Dictator Game. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E460. [PMID: 31936757 PMCID: PMC7014078 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17020460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the new mechanism of altruistic behavior is pivotal to people's health and social development. Despite the rich literature on altruism, this is the first study exploring the association between the sense of community responsibility (SOC-R) and altruistic behavior by repeated dictator games. Data were gathered from 95 residents (30% male; M age = 33.20 years). Demographic variables, money motivation, and SOC-R were measured. The results revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between SOC-R and altruistic behavior, and SOC-R had a positive predictive effect on residents' altruistic behavior. With the increasing of the number of tasks assigned, the level of residents' altruistic behavior gradually decreased. There was a significant difference in money allocation between the groups with high and low levels of SOC-R. The level of altruistic behavior in the group with a high level of SOC-R was significantly higher than that in the the group with a low level of SOC-R. Findings from the present study highlighted the potential value of strengthening residents' SOC-R in the improvement of altruism. Implications and directions for future research were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yanli Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuhui Wang
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China;
| | - Xuemeng Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (C.Y.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.); (Y.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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21
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Zhang R, Wang Z. Inhibitory control moderates the quadratic association between resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia and prosocial behaviors in children. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13491. [PMID: 31603574 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is thought to be an important physiological correlate of prosocial behaviors. A negative quadratic association between resting RSA and prosocial behaviors has been found in recent studies. However, it remains unknown whether inhibitory control (IC), as an aspect of cognitive regulation, moderates this quadratic association. This issue was examined in the present study. One hundred and forty-eight children (81 girls, 54.7%) aged 7-8 years completed a go/no-go task to assess their IC, and the children's parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Chinese version (SDQ-CV) to assess children's prosocial behaviors. Resting RSA was calculated by electrocardiogram (ECG) data collected during a resting period in the laboratory. The results showed a significant quadratic association between resting RSA and children's prosocial behaviors. More importantly, IC had a significant moderating effect on the quadratic association between resting RSA and prosocial behaviors. Specifically, the quadratic effect of resting RSA on prosocial behaviors was observed only among children with low and average IC and disappeared in children with better IC. The findings suggest that IC interacts with resting RSA to contribute to prosocial behaviors in children. High levels of IC could attenuate the negative impact of high and low resting RSA on prosocial behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runzhu Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhenhong Wang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China
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22
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Zhao L, Sun W, Jia X, He X, Liu Y, Lee K, Fu G, Compton BJ, Heyman GD. Young children selectively ignore quality to promote self-interest. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 188:104679. [PMID: 31499456 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Although there has been extensive research on how children distribute resources with respect to quantity, little is known about how these decisions are affected by resource quality. The current research addressed this question by conducting two preregistered studies in which 3-, 5-, and 7-year-old children (total N = 360) made anonymous distributions of high-quality and low-quality items. Quantitative fairness entailed distributing an equal number of items irrespective of quality, and qualitative fairness entailed distributing equal numbers of high-quality and low-quality items. In Study 1, a majority of 7-year-olds distributed resources equally between themselves and another child in terms of both quality and quantity, whereas a majority of 3- and 5-year-olds did so only in terms of quantity while giving themselves a qualitative advantage. In Study 2, a majority of children in all three age groups distributed resources equally between two other children in terms of both quality and quantity. Together with prior findings, these results suggest that children selectively ignore the dimension of quality when it serves their own interests. The results also show, for the first time, that by 7 years of age children consider quality even at the expense of their own interests and that children as young as 3 years have the capacity to take into account resource quality when making distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhao
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjin Sun
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyan Jia
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxing He
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Primary Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China
| | - Kang Lee
- Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2X2, Canada; Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua City, Zhejiang 321004, People's Republic of China
| | - Genyue Fu
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhang District, Hangzhou 311121, People's Republic of China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, People's Republic of China.
| | - Brian J Compton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gail D Heyman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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23
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Grocke P, Rossano F, Tomasello M. Preschoolers consider (absent) others when choosing a distribution procedure. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221186. [PMID: 31465446 PMCID: PMC6715218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated how the presence of others and anticipated distributions for self influence children’s fairness-related decisions in two different socio-moral contexts. In the first part, three- and five-year-old children (N = 120) decided between a fair and an unfair wheel of fortune to allocate resources (procedural justice). In the second part, they directly chose between two distributions of resources (distributive justice). While making a decision, each child was either observed by the affected group members (public), alone (private), or no others were introduced (non-social control). Children choose the fair option more often when others were affected (independently of their presence) only in the procedural justice task. These results suggest that using a fair procedure to distribute resources allows young preschoolers to overcome selfish tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Grocke
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Federico Rossano
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Michael Tomasello
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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24
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Moriguchi Y, Shinohara I, Todo N, Meng X. Prosocial behavior is related to later executive function during early childhood: A longitudinal study. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2019.1628737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Moriguchi
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Education, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Ikuko Shinohara
- Guidance and Counseling Research Center, National Institute for Educational Policy Research of Japan, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoya Todo
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Xianwei Meng
- Department of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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25
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Xie D, Pei M, Su Y. "Favoring my playmate seems fair": Inhibitory control and theory of mind in preschoolers' self-disadvantaging behaviors. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 184:158-173. [PMID: 31029833 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between preschoolers' cognitive abilities and their fairness-related allocation behaviors in a dilemma of equity-efficiency conflict. In Experiment 1, 4- to 6-year-olds (N = 99) decided how to allocate five reward bells. In the first-party condition, preschoolers were asked to choose among giving more to self (self-advantageous inequity), wasting one bell (equity), or giving more to other (self-disadvantageous inequity); in the third-party condition, they chose either to allocate the extra bell to one of two equally deserving recipients or to waste it. Results showed that, compared with the pattern of decision in the third-party condition, preschoolers in the first-party condition were more likely to give the extra bell to other (self-disadvantaging behaviors) and that age, inhibitory control (IC), and theory of mind were positively correlated with their self-disadvantaging choices, but only IC mediated the relationship between age and self-disadvantaging behaviors. Experiment 2 (N = 41) showed that IC still predicted preschoolers' self-disadvantaging behaviors when they could choose only between equity and disadvantageous inequity. These results suggested that IC played a critical role in the implementation of self-disadvantaging behaviors when this required the control over selfishness and envy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjie Xie
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Meng Pei
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yanjie Su
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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26
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Blake PR. Giving what one should: explanations for the knowledge-behavior gap for altruistic giving. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 20:1-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Neurocognitive mechanisms of prosociality in childhood. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 20:30-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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28
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Pay-forward effect of resource allocation in preschoolers: Role of theory of mind and empathy. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA SINICA 2018. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1041.2018.01018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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29
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Hao J. Do Children with Better Inhibitory Control Donate More? Differentiating between Early and Middle Childhood and Cool and Hot Inhibitory Control. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2182. [PMID: 29321755 PMCID: PMC5733552 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control may play an important part in prosocial behavior, such as donating behavior. However, it is not clear at what developmental stage inhibitory control becomes associated with donating behavior and which aspects of inhibitory control are related to donating behavior during development in early to middle childhood. The present study aimed to clarify these issues with two experiments. In Experiment 1, 103 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers completed cool (Stroop-like) and hot (delay of gratification) inhibitory control tasks and a donating task. The results indicated that there were no relationships between cool or hot inhibitory control and donating behavior in the whole group and each age group of the preschoolers. In Experiment 2, 140 elementary school children in Grades 2, 4, and 6 completed cool (Stroop-like) and hot (delay of gratification) inhibitory control tasks and a donating task. The results showed that inhibitory control was positively associated with donating behavior in the whole group. Cool and hot inhibitory control respectively predicted donating behavior in the second and sixth graders. Therefore, the present study reveals that donating behavior increasingly relies on specific inhibitory control, i.e., hot inhibitory control as children grow in middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Hao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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30
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Brucks D, Range F, Marshall-Pescini S. Dogs' reaction to inequity is affected by inhibitory control. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15802. [PMID: 29150666 PMCID: PMC5694007 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16087-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Inequity aversion is thought to act as a mechanism to ensure cooperation and has been studied in many different species, consistently revealing inter-individual variation. Inhibitory control has been proposed to act as one factor responsible for this variation since individuals need to inhibit performing the required action and/or refuse rewards in order to exhibit inequity aversion. Here, we investigated if dogs' sensitivity to inequity is affected by their capacity for inhibitory control, assessed in a test battery and questionnaire. Overall, dogs showing high compulsivity scores (i.e. repetitive behaviours independent of feedback) were more motivated to participate in the inequity task independent of the rewarding scheme. Dogs were more sensitive to inequity and individual contrast if they exhibited a slower decision speed in the inhibition tasks. Furthermore, less persistent and more impulsive dogs were more sensitive to reward inequity, potentially due to having a lower tolerance level for frustration. Results indicate that aspects of inhibitory control can explain the variation in dogs' inequity response, highlighting one of the mechanisms underlying responses to inequity. Emphasising the importance to design paradigms, which allow us to disentangle capacities to recognise inequity from the inability to react to it due to poor inhibitory control abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Désirée Brucks
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Friederike Range
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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31
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Wildeboer A, Thijssen S, Muetzel RL, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Tiemeier H, White T, van IJzendoorn MH. Neuroanatomical correlates of donating behavior in middle childhood. Soc Neurosci 2017; 13:541-552. [PMID: 28756739 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1361864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiological correlates of prosocial behavior are largely unknown. We examined brain structure and functional connectivity correlates of donating to a charity, a specific, costly, form of prosocial behavior. In 163 children, donating was measured using a promotional clip for a charity including a call for donations. Children could decide privately whether and how much they wanted to donate from money they had received earlier. Whole brain structural MRI scans were obtained to study associations between cortical thickness and donating behavior. In addition, resting state functional MRI scans were obtained to study whole brain functional connectivity and to examine functional connectivity between regions identified using structural MRI. In the lateral orbitofrontal cortex/pars orbitalis and pre-/postcentral cortex, a thicker cortex was associated with higher donations. Functional connectivity with these regions was not associated with donating behavior. These results suggest that donating behavior is not only situationally driven, but is also related brain morphology. The absence of functional connectivity correlates might imply that the associations with cortical thickness are involved in different underlying mechanisms of donating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Wildeboer
- a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.,b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands.,c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Thijssen
- a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.,b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands.,d Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies , Erasmus University , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands.,c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.,e Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Leiden , The Netherlands.,f Department of Epidemiology , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.,g Department of Psychiatry , Erasmus University Medical Center , Rotterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- b The Generation R Study Group , Erasmus University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands.,c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology , Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- a Centre for Child and Family Studies , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands.,d Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies , Erasmus University , Leiden , The Netherlands.,e Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC) , Leiden University , Leiden , The Netherlands
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32
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Abstract
Children express preferences for a wide range of options, such as objects, and frequently observe the preferences that others express towards these things. However, little is know about how these initial preferences develop. The present research investigated whether one particular type of social information – other children’s preferences – influences children’s own preferences. Four-year-old children observed, via video, two boys and two girls display the same preference for one of two stickers. Each child (peer) expressed liking for one sticker and dislike for the other. Then children completed two rounds of the Dictator Game, a classic resource distribution task. In each round, children distributed either 10 liked stickers or 10 disliked stickers (counterbalanced) between themselves and another child who was not present. If the preferences expressed by their peers influenced children’s own preferences, children should keep more of the liked than disliked stickers for themselves. In line with this prediction, more children kept more liked than disliked stickers, indicating their distribution patterns were influenced by their peers’ preferences. This finding suggests that children extracted informational content about the value of the stickers from their peers and used that information to guide their own preferences. Children might also have aligned their preferences with those of their peers to facilitate social bonding and group membership. This research demonstrates the strong influence of peers on children’s developing preferences, and reveals the effect of peer influence via video – a medium that young children are frequently exposed to but often struggle to learn from in other contexts.
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Birth weight interacts with a functional variant of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) to predict executive functioning in children. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 30:203-211. [PMID: 28511728 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417000578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with several psychiatric conditions characterized by deficits in executive functioning (EF). A specific OXTR variant, rs2254298, has previously been associated with brain functioning in regions implicated in EF. Moreover, birth weight variation across the entire range is associated with individual differences in cortical structure and function that underlie EF. This is the first study to examine the main and interactive effect between rs2254298 and birth weight on EF in children. The sample consisted of 310 children from an ongoing longitudinal study. EF was measured at age 4.5 using observational tasks indexing working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. A family-based design that controlled for population admixture, stratification, and nongenomic confounds was employed. A significant genetic association between rs2254298 and EF was observed, with more copies of the major allele (G) associated with higher EF. There was also a significant interaction between rs2254298 and birth weight, such that more copies of the major allele in combination with higher birth weight predicted better EF. Findings suggest that OXTR may be associated with discrete neurocognitive abilities in childhood, and these effects may be modulated by intrauterine conditions related to fetal growth and development.
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Gross JT, Stern JA, Brett BE, Cassidy J. The multifaceted nature of prosocial behavior in children: Links with attachment theory and research. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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35
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Steinbeis N. Taxing behavioral control diminishes sharing and costly punishment in childhood. Dev Sci 2016; 21. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaus Steinbeis
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology; University of Leiden; Leiden The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences; Department of Social Neuroscience; Stephanstraße 1A 04103 Leipzig
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Liu B, Huang Z, Xu G, Jin Y, Chen Y, Li X, Wang Q, Song S, Jing J. Altruistic sharing behavior in children: Role of theory of mind and inhibitory control. J Exp Child Psychol 2016; 141:222-8. [PMID: 26452508 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2014] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess altruistic sharing behavior in children aged 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 11 years and to explore the involvement of potential cognitive mechanisms, namely theory of mind (ToM) and inhibitory control. A total of 158 children completed a dictator game with stickers as incentives. ToM was evaluated using a false belief task in preschoolers and the Strange Story Test in school-age children. Inhibitory control was assessed in preschoolers with the Day-Night task and in older children with the Stroop Color-Word Test. The result was that 48.10% of children aged 3 to 5 years decided to share, and the percentage rose significantly with increasing age. The difference in altruism level in children who decided to share among the three age groups was nonsignificant. These results suggest that mechanisms underlying the decision to share or not and altruistic behavior may be different. No significant linear relations were found between cognitive processes (i.e., ToM and inhibitory control) and sharing behavior. Surprisingly, 9- to 11-year-olds who shared 3 of 10 stickers performed worse in inhibitory control than did those who shared any other number of stickers. In conclusion, the proportion of children who decided to share, but not the level of altruism, increased with age. ToM was not involved in altruistic sharing, whereas inhibitory control may play a role when deciding how much to share.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buyun Liu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Zhelan Huang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Guifeng Xu
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Yu Jin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yajun Chen
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Qingxiong Wang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Shanshan Song
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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Cowell JM, Lee K, Malcolm-Smith S, Selcuk B, Zhou X, Decety J. The development of generosity and moral cognition across five cultures. Dev Sci 2016; 20. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Cowell
- The Child Neurosuite - Department of Psychology; University of Chicago; USA
| | - Kang Lee
- Erick Jackman Institute of Child Study; University of Toronto; Canada
| | | | - Bilge Selcuk
- Department of Psychology; Koc University; Turkey
| | - Xinyue Zhou
- Department of Psychology; Sun-Yat Sen University; China
| | - Jean Decety
- The Child Neurosuite - Department of Psychology; University of Chicago; USA
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Schonert-Reichl KA, Oberle E, Lawlor MS, Abbott D, Thomson K, Oberlander TF, Diamond A. Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: a randomized controlled trial. Dev Psychol 2015; 51:52-66. [PMID: 25546595 DOI: 10.1037/a0038454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The authors hypothesized that a social and emotional learning (SEL) program involving mindfulness and caring for others, designed for elementary school students, would enhance cognitive control, reduce stress, promote well-being and prosociality, and produce positive school outcomes. To test this hypothesis, 4 classes of combined 4th and 5th graders (N = 99) were randomly assigned to receive the SEL with mindfulness program versus a regular social responsibility program. Measures assessed executive functions (EFs), stress physiology via salivary cortisol, well-being (self-reports), prosociality and peer acceptance (peer reports), and math grades. Relative to children in the social responsibility program, children who received the SEL program with mindfulness (a) improved more in their cognitive control and stress physiology; (b) reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, optimism, school self-concept, and mindfulness, (c) showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, (d) were rated by peers as more prosocial, and (e) increased in peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity). The results of this investigation suggest the promise of this SEL intervention and address a lacuna in the scientific literature-identifying strategies not only to ameliorate children's problems but also to cultivate their well-being and thriving. Directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Schonert-Reichl
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia
| | - Eva Oberle
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia
| | - Molly Stewart Lawlor
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia
| | - David Abbott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia
| | - Kimberly Thomson
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia
| | - Tim F Oberlander
- Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia
| | - Adele Diamond
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia
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Cowell JM, Samek A, List J, Decety J. The curious relation between theory of mind and sharing in preschool age children. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117947. [PMID: 25658696 PMCID: PMC4320030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Young children have long been known to act selfishly and gradually appear to become more generous across middle childhood. While this apparent change has been well documented, the underlying mechanisms supporting this remain unclear. The current study examined the role of early theory of mind and executive functioning in facilitating sharing in a large sample (N = 98) of preschoolers. Results reveal a curious relation between early false-belief understanding and sharing behavior. Contrary to many commonsense notions and predominant theories, competence in this ability is actually related to less sharing. Thus, the relation between developing theory of mind and sharing may not be as straightforward as it seems in preschool age children. It is precisely the children who can engage in theory of mind that decide to share less with others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Cowell
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Anya Samek
- Department of Consumer Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - John List
- Department of Economics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jean Decety
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Meuwese R, Crone EA, de Rooij M, Güroğlu B. Development of Equity Preferences in Boys and Girls Across Adolescence. Child Dev 2014; 86:145-58. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Meuwese
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
| | | | - Mark de Rooij
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
| | - Berna Güroğlu
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
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41
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Paulus M. The early origins of human charity: developmental changes in preschoolers' sharing with poor and wealthy individuals. Front Psychol 2014; 5:344. [PMID: 25018735 PMCID: PMC4071819 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have provided evidence that young children already engage in sharing behavior. The underlying social-cognitive mechanisms, however, are still under debate. In particular, it is unclear whether or not young children's sharing is motivated by an appreciation of others' wealth. Manipulating the material needs of recipients in a sharing task (Experiment 1) and a resource allocation task (Experiment 2), we show that 5- but not 3-year-old children share more with poor than wealthy individuals. The 3-year-old children even showed a tendency to behave less selfishly towards the rich, yet not the poor recipient. This suggests that very early instances of sharing behavior are not motivated by a consideration of others' material needs. Moreover, the results show that 5-year-old children were rather inclined to give more to the poor individual than distributing the resources equally, demonstrating that their wish to support the poor overruled the otherwise very prominent inclination to share resources equally. This indicates that charity has strong developmental roots in preschool children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Paulus
- Developmental Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichMunich, Germany
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