Socio-moral expectations in infants and toddlers

The present research explored whether infants and toddlers would have early expectations of socio-moral norms. In particular, we asked whether and how children’s expectations about reciprocity would be modulated by considerations of ingroup loyalty. Chapter 2 focused on the idea of “escalation” and provided evidence that infants expect an individual to retaliate more severely against an outgroup member than against an ingroup member. Chapter 3 focused on the idea of “co-retaliation” and suggested that both infants and toddlers expect an individual to retaliate against an outgroup member who had previously hindered the individual’s group member. Chapter 4 focused on the idea of “privilege” and showed that toddlers expect an individual to act more positively in response to a friendly overture by an ingroup member than by an outgroup member. Experiments described in this dissertation provide converging evidence that infants and toddlers have rudimentary socio-moral expectations about actions and interactions within social contexts; they are sensitive to various markers of social groups; and their expectations of reciprocity are modulated by considerations of ingroup loyalty. These socio-moral expectations emerge early in life and are likely to be based on a small set of innate socio-moral principles.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• He, Zijing

Contributors dc:contributor

• Baillargeon, Renée
• Cohen, Dov
• Fisher, Cynthia L.
• Hong, Ying-Yi
• Miller, Peggy J.
• Roisman, Glenn I.

• moral development
• infants
• social cognition
• social norms
• toddlers

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Zijing He

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26335

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/26335