Pub Date : 2025-03-31DOI: 10.1177/09637214241311919
Koraly Pérez-Edgar, Kelley E. Gunther, Alicia Vallorani
Temperament traits are early appearing and relatively stable phenotypic profiles of behavior that are present across space and time. This definition invariably reflects the timescale imposed when gathering repeated measures of our variables of interest and our reliance on aggregate, mean-level values. However, if the timescale of observations is shortened and the frequency of observations is increased, underlying or latent fluctuations and variability may emerge. Embedding short-term fluctuations into slower developmental trajectories may improve our understanding of behavior in the moment while also strengthening prediction. Researchers should embrace a more granular timescale in research, incorporating new technology and analytical approaches, enhancing our ability to capture developmental change. This article illustrates how shifting timescales can provide new insight into social, behavioral, and cognitive processes across development.
{"title":"The Wobbly Bits of Development: Variability, Fluctuations, and Synchrony as Temporal Markers Linking Temperament and Psychopathology","authors":"Koraly Pérez-Edgar, Kelley E. Gunther, Alicia Vallorani","doi":"10.1177/09637214241311919","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214241311919","url":null,"abstract":"Temperament traits are early appearing and relatively stable phenotypic profiles of behavior that are present across space and time. This definition invariably reflects the timescale imposed when gathering repeated measures of our variables of interest and our reliance on aggregate, mean-level values. However, if the timescale of observations is shortened and the frequency of observations is increased, underlying or latent fluctuations and variability may emerge. Embedding short-term fluctuations into slower developmental trajectories may improve our understanding of behavior in the moment while also strengthening prediction. Researchers should embrace a more granular timescale in research, incorporating new technology and analytical approaches, enhancing our ability to capture developmental change. This article illustrates how shifting timescales can provide new insight into social, behavioral, and cognitive processes across development.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143736798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-14DOI: 10.1177/09637214251323490
Laura K. Cirelli, Haley E. Kragness
Dancing to music is prevalent across human cultures. It is also developmentally precocious—most children display dance-like behaviors before their first birthday. This early emergence precedes a long maturational trajectory with broad individual differences. Here, we survey recent research on dance in infancy and childhood. We propose that investigating early musical movements is useful for understanding the development of dance itself and that dance can serve as a behavioral measure to better understand development in adjacent domains, such as auditory perception and musical memory. Finally, we discuss potential developmental mechanisms underlying early dance and highlight major remaining questions. Studying early dance provides an opportunity to highlight how fundamental processes in psychology, such as nature-nurture interactions, individual differences, and the interplay between abilities and environments, can impact the emergence and expression of this social and multimodal human behavior.
{"title":"The Development of Dance in Early Childhood","authors":"Laura K. Cirelli, Haley E. Kragness","doi":"10.1177/09637214251323490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251323490","url":null,"abstract":"Dancing to music is prevalent across human cultures. It is also developmentally precocious—most children display dance-like behaviors before their first birthday. This early emergence precedes a long maturational trajectory with broad individual differences. Here, we survey recent research on dance in infancy and childhood. We propose that investigating early musical movements is useful for understanding the development of dance itself and that dance can serve as a behavioral measure to better understand development in adjacent domains, such as auditory perception and musical memory. Finally, we discuss potential developmental mechanisms underlying early dance and highlight major remaining questions. Studying early dance provides an opportunity to highlight how fundamental processes in psychology, such as nature-nurture interactions, individual differences, and the interplay between abilities and environments, can impact the emergence and expression of this social and multimodal human behavior.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143627598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-14DOI: 10.1177/09637214251318284
Eniko Kubinyi
The number of dogs in Western countries has increased over the past 2 decades, whereas the number of children has remained stable or decreased. Many dog owners, including those with children, say that their pets are more important to them than any human. Presumably, the declining fertility rates contribute to the increasing value of dogs in the lives of people, and dogs fill an empty niche. The companion-dog cultural-runaway theory posits that the change in dog-keeping habits has both biological and cultural evolutionary roots. Human ancestors developed a cooperative breeding system 2 million years ago, with the community aiding in child-rearing. Because people currently do not perceive the level of social support and trust to which they are biologically adapted, they seek alternatives. One coping strategy may involve transferring genetically based prosocial attitudes, such as the tendency to engage in parental behavior, to dogs. Western culture supports this shift and portrays dog ownership positively. Moreover, the biological evolution of dogs, with the spread of short-headed, small-sized lapdogs, also contributes to them being viewed as “children.” Dogs may facilitate or hinder the restoration of human network complexity, but this area is currently largely unexplored.
{"title":"The Link Between Companion Dogs, Human Fertility Rates, and Social Networks","authors":"Eniko Kubinyi","doi":"10.1177/09637214251318284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251318284","url":null,"abstract":"The number of dogs in Western countries has increased over the past 2 decades, whereas the number of children has remained stable or decreased. Many dog owners, including those with children, say that their pets are more important to them than any human. Presumably, the declining fertility rates contribute to the increasing value of dogs in the lives of people, and dogs fill an empty niche. The companion-dog cultural-runaway theory posits that the change in dog-keeping habits has both biological and cultural evolutionary roots. Human ancestors developed a cooperative breeding system 2 million years ago, with the community aiding in child-rearing. Because people currently do not perceive the level of social support and trust to which they are biologically adapted, they seek alternatives. One coping strategy may involve transferring genetically based prosocial attitudes, such as the tendency to engage in parental behavior, to dogs. Western culture supports this shift and portrays dog ownership positively. Moreover, the biological evolution of dogs, with the spread of short-headed, small-sized lapdogs, also contributes to them being viewed as “children.” Dogs may facilitate or hinder the restoration of human network complexity, but this area is currently largely unexplored.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"183 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143627600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1177/09637214251314755
Mary A. Peterson
Many scientists continue to conceive of object detection as occurring in stages that map onto levels in the visual hierarchy. This article reviews experiments suggesting that multiple interpretations and their semantics are activated at high levels before conscious object detection. That more than one interpretation is activated before object detection implies that ambiguity (and not just uncertainty) exists before conscious object detection. This is so even when displays seem unambiguous after detection. Converging evidence from a variety of methods indicates that inhibitory competition resolves the unconscious ambiguity. Experiments in my laboratory suggest that reentrant processes—both cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical—determine conscious perception. I conclude that object detection entails global dynamic interactive Bayesian processes. Stage terminology is outdated.
{"title":"Ambiguity and Reentrant Processing in Object Detection","authors":"Mary A. Peterson","doi":"10.1177/09637214251314755","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251314755","url":null,"abstract":"Many scientists continue to conceive of object detection as occurring in stages that map onto levels in the visual hierarchy. This article reviews experiments suggesting that multiple interpretations and their semantics are activated at high levels before conscious object detection. That more than one interpretation is activated before object detection implies that ambiguity (and not just uncertainty) exists before conscious object detection. This is so even when displays seem unambiguous after detection. Converging evidence from a variety of methods indicates that inhibitory competition resolves the unconscious ambiguity. Experiments in my laboratory suggest that reentrant processes—both cortico-cortical and cortico-subcortical—determine conscious perception. I conclude that object detection entails global dynamic interactive Bayesian processes. Stage terminology is outdated.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143618727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-12DOI: 10.1177/09637214251315716
Jonah Berger, Stijn M. J. van Osselaer, Chris Janiszewski
Psychology has made great strides in how researchers collect, analyze, and report data, but there has been less attention to improving hypothesis generation. Some researchers still rely on intuition, serendipitous observations, or a limited reading of the literature to come up with a single idea about a relationship between constructs. Although this approach has led to valuable insights, it can constrain thinking and often fails to generate a full picture of what is going on. New approaches, however, allow researchers to cast a wider net. Specifically, by reducing the cost and effort of examining a broader set of potential variables, automated content analysis (i.e., computer-assisted methods for extracting features from unstructured data) can uncover new insights and help develop new theories. We describe how these techniques can be applied to various research questions and outline methods and criteria that can be used to gain a wider perspective. In sum, automated content analysis is a powerful tool for identifying new and important phenomena, building (and sharpening) theory, and increasing impact.
{"title":"Casting a Wider Net: Using Automated Content Analysis to Discover New Ideas","authors":"Jonah Berger, Stijn M. J. van Osselaer, Chris Janiszewski","doi":"10.1177/09637214251315716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251315716","url":null,"abstract":"Psychology has made great strides in how researchers collect, analyze, and report data, but there has been less attention to improving hypothesis generation. Some researchers still rely on intuition, serendipitous observations, or a limited reading of the literature to come up with a single idea about a relationship between constructs. Although this approach has led to valuable insights, it can constrain thinking and often fails to generate a full picture of what is going on. New approaches, however, allow researchers to cast a wider net. Specifically, by reducing the cost and effort of examining a broader set of potential variables, automated content analysis (i.e., computer-assisted methods for extracting features from unstructured data) can uncover new insights and help develop new theories. We describe how these techniques can be applied to various research questions and outline methods and criteria that can be used to gain a wider perspective. In sum, automated content analysis is a powerful tool for identifying new and important phenomena, building (and sharpening) theory, and increasing impact.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143607787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1177/09637214241308831
Lana B. Karasik
Cascades from culture inform beliefs and norms that guide childrearing, resulting in diverse experiences that shape developmental outcomes. This article explores the influence of cultural beliefs and childrearing practices on infant development, focusing on the traditional gahvora cradling practice in Tajikistan. Cradling in gahvoras involves movement restriction, providing a unique model for investigating how early physical constraints shape developmental trajectories and challenging conventional theories that emphasize the necessity of continuous, unrestricted movement. By situating motor development within a broader social and cultural framework, this article highlights the importance of considering cultural context in developmental research. Despite these physical constraints, infants exhibit adaptive motor activity when unbound, suggesting a flexible and resilient developmental system. These practices illuminate the dynamic interplay of physical, social, and cultural factors, revealing how diverse early experiences shape developmental outcomes.
{"title":"Cultural Cascades and Infant Resilience: Insights From Tajik Gahvora Cradling Practices","authors":"Lana B. Karasik","doi":"10.1177/09637214241308831","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214241308831","url":null,"abstract":"Cascades from culture inform beliefs and norms that guide childrearing, resulting in diverse experiences that shape developmental outcomes. This article explores the influence of cultural beliefs and childrearing practices on infant development, focusing on the traditional gahvora cradling practice in Tajikistan. Cradling in gahvoras involves movement restriction, providing a unique model for investigating how early physical constraints shape developmental trajectories and challenging conventional theories that emphasize the necessity of continuous, unrestricted movement. By situating motor development within a broader social and cultural framework, this article highlights the importance of considering cultural context in developmental research. Despite these physical constraints, infants exhibit adaptive motor activity when unbound, suggesting a flexible and resilient developmental system. These practices illuminate the dynamic interplay of physical, social, and cultural factors, revealing how diverse early experiences shape developmental outcomes.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143485703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1177/09637214251313733
Catherine Insel, Alexandra O. Cohen
Adolescence is a dynamic period of brain development marked by profound changes in learning, decision-making, and higher order cognition. This article explores how research on the adolescent brain can inform the development of biologically based computational models of learning and behavior. We highlight how computational frameworks such as reinforcement learning and artificial neural networks capture key features of adolescent behavior, including shifts in exploration and decision-making strategies. By integrating principles of brain development, such as synaptic pruning and the hierarchical development of neural circuits, computational models can offer insights into how the brain adapts to new experiences and challenges. We argue that studying adolescent brain development not only enhances our understanding of cognition but also provides a valuable framework for refining computational models of brain function. We propose future directions for how adolescent research can inform innovations in computational research to better capture dynamic brain states, individual variability, and risk for psychopathology.
{"title":"More Than Just a Phase: Adolescence as a Window Into How the Brain Generates Behavior","authors":"Catherine Insel, Alexandra O. Cohen","doi":"10.1177/09637214251313733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251313733","url":null,"abstract":"Adolescence is a dynamic period of brain development marked by profound changes in learning, decision-making, and higher order cognition. This article explores how research on the adolescent brain can inform the development of biologically based computational models of learning and behavior. We highlight how computational frameworks such as reinforcement learning and artificial neural networks capture key features of adolescent behavior, including shifts in exploration and decision-making strategies. By integrating principles of brain development, such as synaptic pruning and the hierarchical development of neural circuits, computational models can offer insights into how the brain adapts to new experiences and challenges. We argue that studying adolescent brain development not only enhances our understanding of cognition but also provides a valuable framework for refining computational models of brain function. We propose future directions for how adolescent research can inform innovations in computational research to better capture dynamic brain states, individual variability, and risk for psychopathology.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143485702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1177/09637214251313714
Nim Tottenham, Anna Vannucci
Early caregiving experiences have strong, persistent links to emotion regulation. In this article we offer a view that the content represented in emotion-regulation neurobiology in part reflects consolidated interpersonal-affective memories abstracted from early caregiving experiences. We suggest that these interpersonal-affective memories, referred to here as “attachment schemas,” are represented by cortical-subcortical (re)activations. Neural circuitry involving functional connections between subcortical and midline cortical regions is well positioned to generate predictive inferences from attachment schemas that have implications for emotion regulation. Although speculative, this perspective is motivated by the convergence of empirical findings from cognitive and developmental neuroscience. Situating affective neural predictions within a neurodevelopmental framework has great potential to uncover mechanisms of attachment and ultimately build toward a more complete understanding of the links between early caregiving experiences and emotional well-being.
{"title":"Attachment as Prediction: Insights From Cognitive and Developmental Neuroscience","authors":"Nim Tottenham, Anna Vannucci","doi":"10.1177/09637214251313714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251313714","url":null,"abstract":"Early caregiving experiences have strong, persistent links to emotion regulation. In this article we offer a view that the content represented in emotion-regulation neurobiology in part reflects consolidated interpersonal-affective memories abstracted from early caregiving experiences. We suggest that these interpersonal-affective memories, referred to here as “attachment schemas,” are represented by cortical-subcortical (re)activations. Neural circuitry involving functional connections between subcortical and midline cortical regions is well positioned to generate predictive inferences from attachment schemas that have implications for emotion regulation. Although speculative, this perspective is motivated by the convergence of empirical findings from cognitive and developmental neuroscience. Situating affective neural predictions within a neurodevelopmental framework has great potential to uncover mechanisms of attachment and ultimately build toward a more complete understanding of the links between early caregiving experiences and emotional well-being.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"66 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143470733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1177/09637214251313713
Barbara Landau
Basic spatial terms such as the English prepositions “in,” “on,” “above,” “below,” “left,” and “right” represent spatial relationships that are encoded in languages of the world and are readily learned by young children. How do children learn these terms, and what are the relative contributions of universal foundations from spatial cognition versus language-specific input? I argue that progress can be made on this issue by recognizing two distinct subclasses of spatial terms, each rooted in different classes of spatial properties, leading to different kinds of learning problems for the child. “Geometric” terms such as “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” and “behind” focus on spatial properties such as the distance and direction between two objects, specified by orthogonal axes centered on a reference object and vectors that define the location of one object relative to the other. By contrast, “force-dynamic” terms such as “in” and “on” focus on the physical and mechanical properties of objects that specify how one object interacts with the force-dynamic properties of the other. The two sets of terms show different degrees of cross-linguistic variation and present different problems for learners, leading to different developmental trajectories and mechanisms of acquisition. They may ultimately derive from fundamentally different cognitive domains—space and objects.
{"title":"Geometry and Force Dynamics in Simple Spatial Terms: Two Theories, One Resolution","authors":"Barbara Landau","doi":"10.1177/09637214251313713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214251313713","url":null,"abstract":"Basic spatial terms such as the English prepositions “in,” “on,” “above,” “below,” “left,” and “right” represent spatial relationships that are encoded in languages of the world and are readily learned by young children. How do children learn these terms, and what are the relative contributions of universal foundations from spatial cognition versus language-specific input? I argue that progress can be made on this issue by recognizing two distinct subclasses of spatial terms, each rooted in different classes of spatial properties, leading to different kinds of learning problems for the child. “Geometric” terms such as “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” and “behind” focus on spatial properties such as the distance and direction between two objects, specified by orthogonal axes centered on a reference object and vectors that define the location of one object relative to the other. By contrast, “force-dynamic” terms such as “in” and “on” focus on the physical and mechanical properties of objects that specify how one object interacts with the force-dynamic properties of the other. The two sets of terms show different degrees of cross-linguistic variation and present different problems for learners, leading to different developmental trajectories and mechanisms of acquisition. They may ultimately derive from fundamentally different cognitive domains—space and objects.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143470737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1177/09637214241306057
Felix Warneken, Katherine McAuliffe
Research on children’s responses to preventive health behaviors during COVID-19 provides insights of both practical and theoretical importance: Understanding how children reason about preventive behaviors is crucial for developing effective public-health campaigns. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic presented us with a unique natural experiment for examining children’s emerging sociomoral reasoning in the face of rapidly changing norms and social practices. Here we summarize empirical findings from a series of experiments testing how children reason about preventive health behaviors such as mask-wearing and physical distancing that were introduced during COVID-19. Across these studies, we found that children apply sociomoral principles to interpret these novel behaviors. By as young as the age of 5 years, children are well equipped to adapt to novel norms and social practices by thinking through the trade-offs and social consequences of these new behaviors in a surprisingly mature and practical way. At the same time, political views of families and communities are reflected in children’s endorsement of preventive behaviors. We conclude with suggestions on the way developmental research can contribute to our knowledge of how to successfully prepare for public-health responses in anticipation of potential future pandemics.
{"title":"Lessons for the Next Pandemic: What Children Taught Us About Navigating New Social Norms During COVID-19","authors":"Felix Warneken, Katherine McAuliffe","doi":"10.1177/09637214241306057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214241306057","url":null,"abstract":"Research on children’s responses to preventive health behaviors during COVID-19 provides insights of both practical and theoretical importance: Understanding how children reason about preventive behaviors is crucial for developing effective public-health campaigns. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic presented us with a unique natural experiment for examining children’s emerging sociomoral reasoning in the face of rapidly changing norms and social practices. Here we summarize empirical findings from a series of experiments testing how children reason about preventive health behaviors such as mask-wearing and physical distancing that were introduced during COVID-19. Across these studies, we found that children apply sociomoral principles to interpret these novel behaviors. By as young as the age of 5 years, children are well equipped to adapt to novel norms and social practices by thinking through the trade-offs and social consequences of these new behaviors in a surprisingly mature and practical way. At the same time, political views of families and communities are reflected in children’s endorsement of preventive behaviors. We conclude with suggestions on the way developmental research can contribute to our knowledge of how to successfully prepare for public-health responses in anticipation of potential future pandemics.","PeriodicalId":10802,"journal":{"name":"Current Directions in Psychological Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143462755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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