Power in Parent-Child Relationships

For 4- to 6-year-olds

This study will take place on a Zoom video call with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will take you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works best for you. A researcher will tell your child stories about parents and their children. The parents are making something for dinner that their children do not want. The children will respond by making a polite request, or by making a bossy demand. We will assess if children think bossy kids are "in-charge", and how they respond to bossy behavior.

This study aims to provide insights on how children learn and reason about other children's caregivers. Critically, we are trying to understand if children's perceptions and third-party reasoning about power extends to parent-child relationships. This research builds upon historic and emerging research showing that even young children hold nuanced ideas when it comes to parenting and caregiving relationships, in many ways that are similar to adults' intuitions.

15 minutes

Families will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card for participating. The gift card will be sent within 24 hours after the appointment. Only one gift card per participant and the participant must be in the study age range in order to receive the gift card.