Anthropomorphism and its Effects on Conceptual and Moral Understanding of the World

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

From early on, children separate the physical world from the mental world and use psychological states to explain others’ behavior (Wellman & Gelman, 1992). Despite this, children, and even adults, still show anthropomorphic tendencies in that they attribute mental states (e.g. beliefs and desires) not only to humans but also non-human living things and physical objects (Waytz, Cacioppo & Epley, 2010). Although studies have documented these tendencies, there is little research exploring the contexts that foster anthropomorphism and its downstream effects on children’s conceptions of the biological domain and on moral reasoning. This symposium presents four talks on these topics. Paper 1 explores parent-child conversations while visiting a virtual zoo and finds that adults scaffold children’s ideas about distinctions between human and non-human animal categories while also promoting animal anthropomorphism. Paper 2 explores cues that impact children’s tendency to anthropomorphize robots and finds that individuals with greater anthropomorphic tendencies are more likely to regard a robot as morally responsible for its negative actions. The last two papers focus on non-living natural phenomena. Paper 3 finds that tendencies to anthropomorphize the Earth decrease children’s concerns about environmental damage while tendencies to attribute vital capacities to living things increase them. Paper 4 focuses on adults and, converging with Paper 3, finds that adults’ tendencies to anthropomorphize the Earth are associated with decreased concerns about climate change while anthropomorphism of animals positively relates to pro-environmental behavior. Implications of anthropomorphism and its impacts on moral reasoning and conceptual organization will be discussed.

Sub Unit

• Social Cognition

Chairs

• Lizette Pizza, Boston University

• Deb Kelemen, Boston University

Individual Presentations

• Parent-Child Talk about the Birds and Bees: Anthropocentric, Anthropomorphic Thinking in a Virtual Zoo - Presenting Author: Danielle Labotka, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Non-Presenting Author: Susan A Gelman, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Non-Presenting Author: Jennifer Jipson, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

• Are Robots Morally Culpable? The Role of Intentionality and Anthropomorphism - Presenting Author: Shailee Woodard, Keene State College; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Sweezy, University of Montana; Non-Presenting Author: Rachel L. Severson, University of Montana

• Does Earth Watch Over Her Animals? Anthropomorphized Nature and its Relationship to Environmental Moral Reasoning - Presenting Author: Lizette Pizza, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Deb Kelemen, Boston University

• Anthropomorphism and Pro-Environmentalism Among Young Adults - Presenting Author: Nicole Betz, Yale University; Non-Presenting Author: Emma Pitt, Northeastern University; Non-Presenting Author: John D Coley, Northeastern University