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The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling

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Published on: April 6, 2018

Possession and morality in early development.

Philippe Rochat¹

¹Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. psypr@emory.edu

New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development

|June 15, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Children

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Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Moral Development
Cognitive Science

Background:

Children's understanding of possession evolves from absolute to negotiable.
The concept of 'mine' shifts as children mature.
Early experiences with ownership lay the groundwork for social understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the developmental connection between possession and morality in children.
To demonstrate how the concept of alienable property influences moral reasoning.
To highlight the emergence of social norms and accountability through ownership.

Main Methods:

Observational analysis of children's interactions with objects.
Developmental psychology frameworks applied to ownership concepts.
Qualitative assessment of children's reasoning about possession and fairness.

Main Results:

Possession transitions from unalienable to alienable property during early development.
The shift to alienable possession marks entry into 'moral space'.
Accountability and reputation become significant as possession becomes negotiable.

Conclusions:

There is a strong developmental link between the understanding of possession and the development of morality.
Children's evolving concept of ownership is foundational to their moral reasoning.
The transition to negotiable property is a key step in social and moral development.