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Preschoolers negatively evaluate conventional norm violations in pretend play
1Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|February 14, 2024
Summary
Children apply real-world social norms even in pretend play, judging norm violations negatively regardless of context. This suggests children's imaginative activities are grounded in reality.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Children's pretend play is often considered a reflection of their understanding of reality.
- Previous research suggests a link between children's grasp of the real world and their imaginative scenarios.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether children apply and uphold conventional social norms within pretend play scenarios.
- To determine if the context (fantastical vs. realistic) influences children's judgments of norm adherence versus norm violation in pretend play.
Main Methods:
- 200 children aged 3-5 years participated in pretend play scenarios.
- A puppet either adhered to or violated social norms in presented scenarios.
- Children evaluated the puppet's actions in fantastical and realistic contexts.
Main Results:
- Children judged pretend norm violations more negatively than pretend norm adherence.
- Children reported liking norm violators less than norm followers.
- The context (fantastical vs. realistic) did not significantly alter children's evaluations of norm violations.
Conclusions:
- Children consistently apply their knowledge of real-world social norms to pretend play.
- Pretend play is not detached from reality; children maintain their understanding of social conventions.
- This provides evidence that children's imaginative play is fundamentally realistic in nature.
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