Why Was This Right or Wrong?

For 3- to 6-year-olds who speak proficient English

In this study, your child will hear short stories where a child does something right or wrong. After each story, your child will be asked to explain out loud why that character's action was right or wrong. This study requires your child to answer verbally. The stories take about 10 minutes to listen to, so our estimate of 20 minutes for the entire study allows time for your child to think and answer aloud. If your child wants to give particularly long answers, there is a slight chance the study would take longer to complete.

Our goal is to survey and categorize the different rules that children use to explain morally acceptable and unacceptable behavior. One possibility is that children are mainly sensitive to two types of moral violations, harm and unfairness. However, we believe that even young children can use a variety of other moral concepts, such as rules or rights. Seeing how explanations differ across age groups could help us understand how children develop moral reasoning skills.

20 minutes, see study description for more details

We will email you a $5 Amazon.com gift card within approximately a week. To be eligible for the gift card your child must be in the age range for this study and speak English, you need to submit a valid consent statement, and we need to see that there is a child with you. You will only be compensated for the first time you participate in this study.