Children Value Animals More Than Adults Do: A Conceptual Replication and Extension

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Moral Psychology
• Comparative Cognition

Background:

• Previous research indicates U.S. American children value humans over animals less than adults do.
• Understanding cross-cultural developmental trends in human-animal valuation is crucial for moral psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if 6- to 9-year-old Polish children prioritize humans over animals less than Polish adults.
• To conceptually replicate and extend findings on age-related differences in human-animal moral valuation in a new cultural context.

Main Methods:

• A preregistered study with 412 participants (children and adults) from Poland.
• Participants completed moral dilemmas involving prioritizing humans versus animals (dogs, chimpanzees) in scenarios of harm (trolley problem) and benefit (snack allocation).

Main Results:

• Polish children, aged 6–9, demonstrated a significantly lower tendency to prioritize humans over animals compared to Polish adults.
• This age-related difference in human-animal moral valuation was consistent across both harm-prevention and benefit-provision dilemmas.
• Both children and adults showed a stronger preference for prioritizing humans over chimpanzees than over dogs.

Conclusions:

• Developmental differences in human-animal moral valuation observed in the U.S. appear to generalize to Polish children.
• Age-related distinctions in prioritizing human over animal welfare are present in both harm and benefit contexts.
• The type of animal (chimpanzee vs. dog) influences the degree to which humans are prioritized over animals across age groups.