中国科学院行为科学重点实验室知识库

学龄前儿童的选择性信任是其社会学习的重要手段,他们对不同道德承诺者的信任判断对其道德发展有重要意义。实验1采用二元选择范式,操纵承诺的道德效价(道德vs不道德)和履行结果(遵守vs违背),考察学龄前儿童能否对不同道德承诺者做出不同的信任判断。结果显示,儿童3.5岁开始能够在对比情境中对不同道德承诺者做出差异判断,倾向于选择性信任遵守道德承诺和违背不道德承诺者,且年龄效应显著,即年龄越大该选择倾向越明显。但并不能确定儿童是否能对单个出现的道德承诺者做出信任判断。因此,实验2采用单一选择范式考察学龄前儿童对不同道德承诺者的信任程度。结果发现,儿童对不同道德承诺者的信任程度存在差异:遵守道德承诺>违背不道德承诺>违背道德承诺≈遵守不道德承诺。两个实验表明,儿童从3.5岁开始能够区分承诺的道德效价和履行结果,并做出信任判断。本研究为理解儿童的道德推理和社会学习的发展机制提供了新视角,并对学龄前儿童的道德教育具有重要的启示意义。

Trust is a fundamental aspect of social interaction and development, significantly impacting children’s physical and mental well-being, as well as their social engagement. Previous research has shown that young children do not trust others indiscriminately; instead, they make selective trust judgments based on available information. Characteristics of the speaker, such as ability, benevolence, and integrity, as outlined in Mayer et al.’s trust model, influence these judgments. While much research has focused on the effects of ability and benevolence, integrity—which involves adherence to promises, fairness, and justice—has received less attention. This study specifically examines how the act of keeping or breaking promises influences young children's trust judgments. Two experiments using the selective trust paradigm were conducted to explore this issue. A sample size of 100 children was determined to be necessary for an effect size of w = 0.30, α = 0.05, and 1 − β = 0.85, calculated using G*Power 3.1. In Experiment 1, a 3 (age: 3, 4, and 5 years) × 2 (moral valence of promises: moral vs. immoral) × 2 (fulfillment of promises: kept vs. broken) × 2 (context: declarative vs. promising) mixed factorial design was used. Age was a between-subjects variable, while moral valence, fulfillment, and context were within-subjects variables. This experiment involved 118 preschoolers (62 girls, Mean age = 4.99 years, SD = 0.78) in a binary choice paradigm, using four conflict scenarios to examine their trust judgments based on whether promises were kept or broken. Experiment 2 employed a single choice paradigm with 112 preschoolers (57 girls, Mean age = 4.94 years, SD = 0.80), presenting them with four stories to assess their level of trust. Results from Experiment 1 revealed that preschoolers selectively trusted promisors who kept moral promises and those who broke immoral promises, as well as their subsequent assertions and new promises. Older children (5.5~6.5 years) were more likely to trust promisors who kept moral promises and those who broke immoral promises compared to younger children (3.5~4.5 years). Additionally, preschoolers were more accurate in their trust judgments towards promisors who kept moral promises than those who broke immoral promises. Experiment 2 further revealed significant differences in trust levels: kept moral promise > broke immoral promise > broke moral promise ≈ kept immoral promise. This study is the first to examine the development of trust judgment regarding moral promises in preschoolers aged 3.5~6.5 years. The findings indicate that preschoolers consider both the moral valence and fulfillment of promises when making trust judgments. As they mature, preschoolers increasingly trust promisors who keep moral promises and those who break immoral promises. Moreover, the highest trust levels were found for promisors who kept moral promises, followed by those who broke immoral promises, with the least trust placed in promisors who broke moral promises or kept immoral promises. These results offer valuable insights into the development of moral understanding and trust judgments in young children.

科技创新2030(2022ZD0205100)项目的部分工作