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Finish what you started : 2-year-olds motivated by a preference for completing others' unfinished actions in instrumental helping contexts

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Michael, John, Green, Alexander, Siposova, Barbora, Jensen, Keith and Kita, Sotaro (2022) Finish what you started : 2-year-olds motivated by a preference for completing others' unfinished actions in instrumental helping contexts. Cognitive Science, 46 (6). e13160. doi:10.1111/cogs.13160 ISSN 0364-0213.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13160

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Abstract

A considerable body of research has documented the emergence of what appears to be instrumental helping behavior in early childhood. The current study tested the hypothesis that one basic psychological mechanism motivating this behavior is a preference for completing unfinished actions. To test this, a paradigm was implemented in which 2-year-olds (n = 34, 16 female/18 male, mostly White middle-class children) could continue an adult’s action when the adult no longer wanted to complete the action. The results showed that children continued the adult’s actions more often when the goal had been abandoned than when it had been reached (OR = 2.37). This supports the hypothesis that apparent helping behavior in 2-year-olds is motivated by a preference for completing unfinished actions.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Philosophy
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Helping behavior in children, Contagion (Social psychology), Altruism in children, Child psychology, Goal (Psychology)
Journal or Publication Title: Cognitive Science
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISSN: 0364-0213
Official Date: 4 June 2022
Dates:
DateEvent
4 June 2022Published
9 May 2022Accepted
Volume: 46
Number: 6
Article Number: e13160
DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13160
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access (Creative Commons)
Date of first compliant deposit: 16 May 2022
Date of first compliant Open Access: 6 June 2022
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
679092 (SENSE OF COMMITMENT)European Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781

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