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A counting intervention promotes fair sharing in preschoolers.
Nadia Chernyak1, Paul L Harris2, Sara Cordes3
1Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Child Development
|April 27, 2022
Summary
Number knowledge, not working memory or cognitive control, uniquely predicts fair sharing in young children. A brief counting intervention causally improved children's sharing behavior.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Cognitive development
- Prosocial behavior
Background:
- Fair sharing is a complex social behavior influenced by cognitive factors.
- Previous research has explored various correlates of sharing, but the specific role of numerical cognition is less understood.
- Understanding the developmental trajectory of sharing is crucial for social competence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between number knowledge, working memory, cognitive control, and fair sharing behavior in young children.
- To determine if number knowledge uniquely predicts fair sharing, controlling for other cognitive abilities and age.
- To examine the causal impact of a brief numerical intervention on children's fair sharing.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study with 316 children aged 2.5 to 5.5 years.
- Assessment of sharing behavior, number knowledge, working memory, and cognitive control.
- Experimental manipulation involving a counting intervention versus a control condition.
Main Results:
- Number knowledge was uniquely associated with fair sharing behavior, independent of working memory, cognitive control, and age.
- Children who received the counting intervention showed significant improvements in fair sharing from pre-test to post-test compared to the control group.
- Cognitive control and working memory were not uniquely associated with fair sharing in this sample.
Conclusions:
- Numerical cognition, specifically number knowledge, plays a critical role in the development of fair sharing behavior.
- Targeted interventions focusing on numerical skills can causally enhance children's prosocial sharing.
- Future research should explore the interplay of cognitive, social, and motivational factors in children's sharing.
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