by Chiara Bidoli
Since the age of three they have listened to us more than we imagine and know how to recognize what is right from what is wrong. A study conducted at Duke University shows that little ones are attentive to what they are told and reward virtuous behaviors, especially those who are supportive and take care of others
The children listen to us. They know how to recognize our excuses, they judge us, and they already do it in kindergarten. This is what emerged from a study conducted on 64 children between the ages of 3 and 5 by Leon Li, doctoral student in Psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, and by developmental psychologist Michael Tomasello.
Broken promises
The little ones were shown a series of videos in which the protagonists, puppets, didn’t keep a promise, giving excuses of different kinds. The motivations were divided into two groups: those related to altruistic ends (“I couldn’t do this because I had to help a friend with his homework”), and selfish excuses (“I couldn’t do this because I wanted to watch TV »). The children were then asked whether or not they thought the puppets’ actions were wrong, and why. The answer was unanimous: the little ones condemned the broken promise, but were more understanding when the puppets gave a “good” excuse, which always concerned altruistic aspects.
The moral value of words
This has shown that not only do children pay attention to what they are told, but they attribute a moral value to our words which leads them to judge actions and consequently also people. So much so that the puppets that were selfish were the ones that the children didn’t want to play with, while the more generous ones (even if they were wrong due to the failure to promise) were the ones most sought after. The results of the study show that, by nature, we want to surround ourselves with those who show solidarity and that those who lack an eye towards the other have a very good chance of being excluded from the group and left alone.
The book
In support of this thought, a book “Happiness is a gift” by Marco Annoni (Science for Life series) has just been released in which happiness is described, by cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary biology, as an act of generosity and openness towards the others. Children remind us that it is innate to want to feel part of a community and that generosity is not only rewarded by being accepted and part of a group, but also allows us to be happy.
August 27, 2023 (change August 27, 2023 | 08:59)
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