When Is It Okay to Help and Share?

For 3- to 9-year-olds

This study will take place on a video call with one of our researchers. When you select the "Participate Now" button, you will see a calendar where you can sign up for a day and time that's convenient for you and your child. During the Zoom call, the researcher will show your child stories, and then chat with them about what happens. For example, the researcher may tell a story about a character who has food they can share with others, and then ask your child for their thoughts about how the character should share.

Our moral views begin in childhood, where we first learn that it is generally good to help others and share things equally. But children’s moral lives are more complicated than that. Children also need to realize when helping and sharing is morally wrong, for instance, when a person has an opportunity to help a thief. So, a crucial skill that children have to develop is wise moral judgment–the ability to know how and when (and when not) to help and how (and how not) to share. We are interested in understanding how this moral discernment emerges in early childhood. Our research will reveal how children learn to draw these crucial moral distinctions and, ultimately, how adults can help children learn to recognize these distinctions.

20 minutes

There is no compensation for this study, but we hope your family enjoys it!