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Infants' prosocial behavior is governed by cost-benefit analyses
Jessica A Sommerville1, Elizabeth A Enright1, Rachel O Horton1
1Department of Psychology, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
Cognition
|April 8, 2018
Summary
Infants consider costs and benefits when deciding to help others. Their prosocial behavior adjusts based on task difficulty and potential rewards, suggesting early rational decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Cost-benefit analyses are crucial for mature decision-making.
- Infants' prosociality is debated, with limited understanding of their cost-benefit considerations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if anticipated costs and benefits influence 18-month-old infants' prosocial behavior.
- To determine if infants weigh effort against motivational incentives.
Main Methods:
- 160 infants participated in a helping task involving carrying blocks of varying weights.
- Experiments manipulated physical costs and intrinsic motivational benefits.
- Infants' walking experience was recorded as a proxy for motor skill development.
Main Results:
- Infants' helping behavior decreased when the physical cost (block weight) was high.
- Helping in high-cost situations increased with greater intrinsic rewards.
- Walking experience predicted high-cost helping, indicating subjective cost calibration.
Conclusions:
- Infants' prosocial behavior is modulated by cost-benefit evaluations.
- Early rational decision-making processes appear to guide infant helping.
- Infants integrate subjective costs and benefits in their prosocial actions.