Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
07:36
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
Descriptive norms influence children's injunctive and moral norm beliefs
Paul Deutchman1, Emma Sansom2, Julia Marshall3
1Boston College, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, United States; University of Pennsylvania, Philosophy, Politics, & Economics Program and the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|January 31, 2026
Summary
Children aged six and older integrate common behaviors into their beliefs about how they should act, except for personal preferences. Their moral judgments and beliefs are influenced by descriptive norms, showing how social behavior shapes children's understanding.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Moral Development
Background:
- Children learn social rules through observing others' behavior (descriptive norms) and understanding societal expectations (injunctive norms).
- The interplay between these two norm types is crucial for developing moral reasoning and social behavior.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated how children integrate descriptive norm information into their existing beliefs about how they should behave.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how children aged 6-9 integrate descriptive norms (common vs. uncommon behavior) with their injunctive norms (how one should behave).
- To examine if this integration varies based on the type of normative behavior.
- To test if children update their beliefs in response to new descriptive norm information.
Main Methods:
- Two preregistered studies involving 234 children (6-9 years old) from the US.
- Study 1: Assessed the influence of common/uncommon descriptive norms on children's beliefs, moral evaluations, intentions, and punishment ratings.
- Study 2: Employed a within-subject, pre-post design to evaluate belief updating after exposure to descriptive norms.
Main Results:
- By age six, children's beliefs were more influenced by common descriptive norms than uncommon ones across most behaviors, excluding personal preferences.
- Children did not consistently update their prior beliefs when presented with novel descriptive norm information.
- Belief updating, when it occurred, varied significantly based on the specific belief measure, behavior type, and frequency of the norm.
Conclusions:
- Middle childhood is a critical period where children's understanding of social rules and morality is shaped by the frequency of observed behaviors.
- Children's integration of descriptive norms highlights the bottom-up influences on their developing normative beliefs.
- Findings suggest that children's social learning is sensitive to the prevalence of behaviors in their environment.
Related Concept Videos
03:20The Stanford Prison Experiment
The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.
01:20Conformity
Conformity is the change in a person’s behavior to go along with the group, even if that person does not agree with the group.
01:19Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
Kohlberg's theory of moral development uses the Heinz dilemma — a thought experiment in which a man, Heinz, must decide whether to steal an unaffordable drug to save his dying wife — to illustrate the evolution of moral reasoning. This framework, divided into three levels with two stages, highlights how individuals' understanding of right and wrong becomes increasingly complex.
Pre-Conventional Level
At the pre-conventional level, morality is primarily driven by personal consequences. In Stage...
Pre-Conventional Level
At the pre-conventional level, morality is primarily driven by personal consequences. In Stage...
01:30Impact of Individuals on Individuals
Human behavior is intricately shaped by social influences that arise from interactions with others in diverse contexts. These influences not only mold beliefs and attitudes but also drive the regulation of behaviors through both direct communication and observational learning. The study of these processes falls within the domain of social psychology, which seeks to understand how individuals are affected by and affect those around them.Mechanisms of Social InfluenceDirect social influence...
01:21Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
01:20Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.