The influence of negligence, intention, and outcome on children's moral judgments

Nobes, Gavin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1991-1130, Panagiotaki, Georgia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2975-1196 and Pawson, Chris (2009) The influence of negligence, intention, and outcome on children's moral judgments. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 104 (4). pp. 382-397. ISSN 1096-0457

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Abstract

Piaget (1932) and subsequent researchers have reported that young children's moral judgments are based more on the outcomes of actions than on the agents' intentions. The current study investigated whether negligence might also influence these judgments and explain children's apparent focus on outcome. Children (3-8 years of age) and adults (N=139) rated accidental actions in which the valences of intention, negligence, and outcome were varied systematically. Participants of all ages were influenced primarily by intention, and well-intentioned actions were also evaluated according to negligence and outcome. Only two young children based their judgments solely on outcome. It is suggested that previous studies have underestimated children's use of intention because outcome and negligence have been confounded. Negative consequences are considered to be important because children assume that they are caused by negligence. The findings indicate that young children can show sophisticated understanding of the roles of intention and negligence in moral judgments.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	moral development,moral judgment,intention,outcome,negligence
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Mental Health Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Developmental Science Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Cognition, Action and Perception Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Social Cognition Research Group Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Research on Children and Families Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > UEA Experimental Philosophy Group
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	07 Apr 2014 14:14
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2023 10:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/48376
DOI:	10.1016/j.jecp.2009.08.001

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