Infants' intention-based evaluations of distributive actions.
Alessandra Geraci1, Francesca Simion2, Luca Surian1
1Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|April 14, 2022
Summary
Infants evaluate fairness in distribution by considering the distributor's intentions, not just the outcome. This developmental psychology study shows early understanding of intentionality in social evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Previous research indicates infants assess helping actions based on agents' intentions.
- The current study extends this by examining if intentions influence infant evaluation of distributive actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether 9-month-old infants consider distributors' intentions when evaluating fairness.
- To determine if infants' evaluation of distributive actions relies on intentions beyond observed outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Infants observed two distributors attempting, but failing, to distribute items equally or unequally.
- Preferential looking and reaching behaviors were recorded when infants were presented with both distributors.
- Control experiments ruled out explanations based on perceptual cues or affiliative biases.
Main Results:
- Infants showed a reliable preference for the distributor who attempted an equal distribution.
- This preference was observed in both visual attention and manual reaching responses.
- Results were consistent across multiple experimental conditions.
Conclusions:
- Infants' evaluation of distributive actions is influenced by the perceived intentions of the distributor.
- This suggests a foundational understanding of intentionality in fairness judgments during infancy.
- Early social cognition involves evaluating actions based on both intent and outcome.
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