From Expectations to Experiences: Understanding Prosociality in Childhood

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

From helping others obtain items out of reach to distributing preferred resources to “nice” characters, children are prosocial from a young age. The papers in this symposium offer a newer perspective on the study of prosociality by examining non-prosocial cues children use to guide their prosocial decision-making as well as children’s expectations about the impact of their prosocial acts. Results from the first paper reveal that 2-3-year-olds’ helping behaviors increase following brief social contact, demonstrating that mere exposure can increase young children’s prosociality toward others. In the second paper, we learn that 5-9-year-olds use competency performing group-based ritual and instrumental behaviors to determine who is more prosocial. That is, children infer that those who display greater competency performing non-prosocial acts are more likely to be more prosocial. Results from the third paper reveal that children 4-17 years underestimate the positive impact their prosocial acts have on others, suggesting that miscalibrated expectations about impact are a barrier to prosociality from early childhood. Using multiple methodologies (behavioral helping tasks, evaluative tasks) and multiple age groups (toddlers through young adults), these three papers examine prosociality from different perspectives. Together, they offer unique insight into children’s use of subtle (non-prosocial) cues and miscalibrated expectations to guide their prosocial decision-making. A discussant expert in cooperation and cross-cultural research will bring these lines of work together to discuss the importance of examining children’s expectations and experiences (and how they may differ) in the context of prosociality as well as the importance of examining prosociality cross-culturally.

Sub Unit

• Moral Development

Chair

• Margaret Echelbarger, Stony Brook University

Discussant

• Katherine McAuliffe, Boston College

Individual Presentations

• Social Contact Facilitates 2- and 3-year-old Children’s Helping - Presenting Author: Elizabeth A Enright, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Non-Presenting Author: Alia Martin; Non-Presenting Author: Kristina R Olson, Princeton University

• Children Use Competency to Infer Who is a More Prosocial Sharer and Helper - Presenting Author: Nicole Wen, Brunel University London; Non-Presenting Author: Felix Warneken, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Undervaluing the Positive Impact Prosocial Acts Have on Others Starts Early - Presenting Author: Margaret Echelbarger, Stony Brook University; Non-Presenting Author: Nicholas Epley, University of Chicago