Justified overstep: Children endorse caregivers' paternalistic decisions despite recognizing negative feelings

Autonomy is a fundamental psychological need, yet parents often override it for children's own good--practicing paternalism. Do children see this as morally justified? In three preregistered studies, U.S. children aged 4-9 (N = 413; 51% female; 61% White) by default reacted more positively to caregivers' pro-autonomy decisions than to anti-autonomy decisions. However, when anti-autonomy decisions benefited them (Study 1), or another child acting out of ignorance (soft paternalism; Study 2) or deliberation (hard paternalism; Study 3), children judged such decisions to be fair and justified, despite recognizing that pro-autonomy decisions would make them feel better. These findings reveal an early moral appreciation of caregiver paternalism, which may serve as an important social-cognitive mechanism that makes children receptive to parental guidance.