The longitudinal (in)stability and cognitive underpinnings of children’s cheating behavior

IF 1.8 2区 心理学 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Pub Date : 2025-03-13 DOI:10.1016/j.jecp.2025.106222
Liwen Yu , Cleo Tay , Si En Toh , Jie Ning Wee , Yue Yu , Xiao Pan Ding
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Abstract

There has been a long-standing debate about whether cheating is a stable behavior across various situations. However, there is a notable gap in our understanding about whether children’s cheating behavior could exhibit stability over time. Moreover, research on the cognitive correlates of children’s cheating is limited, yet exploring these cognitive factors is essential for understanding how children make (dis)honest decisions. This study aimed to test the longitudinal stability in children’s cheating tendency and frequency and to explore the cognitive underpinnings of cheating behavior (theory of mind, inhibitory control, and free will belief). The study involved 100 children aged 3 to 6 years who were initially tested at Time 1, and 89 of these participants were retested at Time 2 approximately 1 year later. Cheating behavior was measured using a die-rolling game over Zoom, and three different cognitive abilities were measured. The results indicated that children’s cheating tendency was stable over a year-long interval, whereas cheating frequency did not show longitudinal stability. Moreover, the study found that free will belief was related to cheating behavior, whereas theory of mind and inhibitory control were not. Specifically, children’s belief in the free will to inhibit their desires, rather than their actual ability to inhibit the desires, was associated with a reduced frequency and likelihood of cheating. The findings can provide insight into the developmental origin of children’s decisions to refrain from cheating.
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关于作弊行为在各种情况下是否稳定的争论由来已久。然而,对于儿童的作弊行为是否会随着时间的推移而表现出稳定性,我们的认识还存在明显的差距。此外,有关儿童作弊行为的认知相关因素的研究也很有限,而探索这些认知因素对于了解儿童如何做出(不)诚实的决定至关重要。本研究旨在测试儿童作弊倾向和频率的纵向稳定性,并探讨作弊行为的认知基础(心智理论、抑制控制和自由意志信念)。这项研究涉及 100 名 3 至 6 岁的儿童,他们在第一时间接受了初步测试,其中 89 人在大约一年后的第二时间接受了复测。通过在 Zoom 上进行的掷骰子游戏对作弊行为进行了测量,并对三种不同的认知能力进行了测量。结果表明,儿童的作弊倾向在一年的间隔期内保持稳定,而作弊频率则没有表现出纵向稳定性。此外,研究还发现,自由意志信念与作弊行为有关,而思维理论和抑制控制能力与作弊行为无关。具体来说,儿童相信自己有抑制欲望的自由意志,而不是抑制欲望的实际能力,这与作弊频率和可能性的降低有关。这些发现可以帮助我们深入了解儿童做出不作弊决定的发展起源。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
4.50
自引率
7.70%
发文量
190
期刊介绍: The Journal of Experimental Child Psychology is an excellent source of information concerning all aspects of the development of children. It includes empirical psychological research on cognitive, social/emotional, and physical development. In addition, the journal periodically publishes Special Topic issues.
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The longitudinal (in)stability and cognitive underpinnings of children’s cheating behavior Editorial Board Development of an innovative approach to the assessment of eye–hand coordination in a dual-task context in prepubertal children Body size aftereffects are adult-like from 7 years onward Young children’s metacognition in problem-solving through question-asking
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