The intent-based development of partner choice

• In Event: 3-032 - Choosey children: early-emerging sophistication in children’s partner choice decisions

Integrative Statement

In response to others’ bad behavior, humans can respond in two fundamental ways: We can punish, or we can avoid the violator (i.e. engage in partner choice). One possibility is that both responses stem from the same system of evaluation. That is, whether we choose to punish or engage in partner choice, we do so in similar ways and are sensitive to similar inputs. However, work in adults suggests that these two responses may be psychologically distinct, supported by distinct underlying processes (Martin & Cushman 2015). Here, we examine this question in childhood, focusing on the sensitivity of punishment and partner choice to the main inputs to moral judgment: An actor’s intentions and the outcomes they cause (Piaget 1965). We predicted that, punishment would be more outcome-focused early in life and intent-focused later in life, consistent with past work on punishment (Cushman et al 2013; Gummerum & Chu 2014). In contrast, we predicted that partner choice would be sensitive to intentionality earlier than punishment.

Participants (n = 117 collected, pre-registered 162; 52 4 & 5-year-olds, 39 6 & 7-year-olds, 26 8 & 9-year-olds) were presented with vignettes that varied an actor’s intention and the outcome caused, across three conditions (Figure 1). In cases of intentional harm, the actor intended and successfully caused harm. In cases of attempted harm, the actor intended but failed to cause harm. In cases of accidental harm, the actor did not intend to but did cause harm. Vignettes were presented aloud by an experimenter and accompanied by corresponding images on an iPad. Following each vignette, participants made either a punishment or a partner choice decision. Punishment involved assessing whether a third party should take something desirable away from the actor or not. Partner choice involved assessing whether a third party should interact with (e.g. invite to go to the movies) the actor or a random other individual. Response type was blocked, with the first 6 trials of one type and the last 6 of the other type (with order counterbalanced across subjects). Participants completed 12 trials total, assessing each response type twice for each of the three vignette conditions. Thus, we used a fully within-subjects design.

We find that punishment and partner choice are administered in different ways and develop differently (Figure 2). In particular, consistent with past work, punishment early in life is more outcome-focused than later in life, with intent-based judgment emerging late (Cushman et al. 2013; Gummerum & Chu 2014). For instance, only 8-year-olds believe attempted harm should be punished and accidental harm should be forgiven. In contrast, partner choice is more sensitive than punishment to intentions early in life: By 6 years of age (and potentially at 4 years of age), children believe those causing attempted harm should be avoided (but not punished). This pattern of results is suggestive of different developmental trajectories for punishment and partner choice, consistent with the idea that punishment and partner choice are psychologically distinct responses to others’ behavior.

Authors

• Justin Martin, Boston College
  Presenting Author

• Kyleigh Leddy, Boston College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katherine McAuliffe, Boston College
  Non-Presenting Author