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Infants' Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large-Scale, Multi-Lab, Coordinated Replication Study
Kelsey Lucca1, Francis Yuen2, Yiyi Wang3
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Developmental Science
|November 27, 2024
Summary
This large-scale study found no evidence that infants prefer helpful characters over hindering ones. Infant social evaluation abilities may develop later than previously thought.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Human social evaluation is fundamental.
- Early research suggested infants form social judgments by 12 months.
- Replication of these findings has been inconsistent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To precisely estimate the effect size of infant preference for 'Helpers' over 'Hinderers'.
- To determine if infant preferences are influenced by social information.
- To replicate the 2007 Hamlin et al. study using a standardized, multi-laboratory approach.
Main Methods:
- A preregistered, multi-laboratory study using the ManyBabies framework.
- Tested 567 infants (5.5-10.5 months) across 37 international labs.
- Employed active behavioral measures (manual choice) in social and non-social conditions.
Main Results:
- Infants' preference for Helpers over Hinderers in the social condition was 49.34%, not significantly different from chance.
- In a non-social condition, preferences for upward vs. downward motion were 55.85%, also not significantly different from chance.
- Neither condition showed a preference, and results did not differ between conditions.
Conclusions:
- This study provides evidence against early-emerging prosocial preferences in the 'hill paradigm'.
- The effect size for infant preference in this paradigm may be weaker or absent in early infancy.
- This study demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale, active behavioral research in infant studies.
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