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Children's sensitivity to ulterior motives when evaluating prosocial behavior
Gail Heyman1, David Barner, Jennifer Heumann
1Department of Psychology, University of California at San Diego.
Cognitive Science
|September 28, 2013
Summary
Children aged 8-10 understand ulterior motives better than younger children, recognizing reputation management in social giving. This developmental shift impacts their social reasoning and judgments.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Moral Reasoning
Background:
- Understanding ulterior motives is crucial for social navigation.
- Children's ability to infer hidden intentions develops over time.
- Previous research highlights age-related differences in social judgment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental changes in children's reasoning about ulterior motives.
- To examine how children aged 6-10 perceive prosocial behavior in public versus private settings.
- To determine the role of impression management in children's social judgments.
Main Methods:
- Two studies involving 119 children aged 6-10 years.
- Participants evaluated hypothetical children giving gifts in public (reputation-seeking) or private (genuine) settings.
- Children's explanations for their judgments were analyzed.
Main Results:
- 6- to 7-year-olds did not understand ulterior motives in public givers.
- 8- to 10-year-olds favored private givers and were more likely to mention impression management.
- Younger children who mentioned impression management justified favoring public givers.
Conclusions:
- Children's understanding of ulterior motives emerges between ages 6 and 10.
- Developmental changes in reasoning about intentions and social outcomes are key.
- Children's ability to grasp impression management influences their social evaluations.
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