From Good Thoughts to Good Actions: The Relationship Between Social Good Thoughts and Pro-social Behaviors in Children aged 4 to 7 years

The study investigates the developmental characteristics of social good intentions in children aged 4 to 7 years, as well as their relationship with prosocial behaviors. It also examines the impact of decision-making contexts on the expression of social good intentions. Through two related experiments, researchers compare the behavior of children in dual-person interactions versus single-person scenarios that serve as a baseline. This allows them to assess the relationship between social good intentions and prosocial behaviors such as helping others and sharing. The results show that: (1) Children’s social good intentions develop in a non-linear manner. Around the age of 6 years is a critical period for development. Children aged 6 to 7 years exhibit higher levels of social good intentions compared to those aged 4 to 5 years. (2) Compared to single-person scenarios where only individual preferences are considered, children behave differently in dual-person interactions…