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The influence of negligence, intention, and outcome on children’s moral judgments
Open accessAbstract
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.
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“Additionally, new research has also shown that when children are given information about outcome, intentions and negligence, that they are influenced strongly by intentions in making punishment judgments (Nobes, et al., 2009).”
From The accidental transgressor: Morally-relevant theory of mind (2011) · cites this paper as Nobes, et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“This is because children view punishment as more acceptable when a transgression has negative rather than neutral (or positive) intentions (Nobes, et al., 2009).”
From The accidental transgressor: Morally-relevant theory of mind (2011) · cites this paper as Nobes, et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“Additionally, recent research suggests that children and adults do use information about an actor’s negligence in making moral judgments and assessments of punishment acceptability (Nobes, et al., 2009).”
From The accidental transgressor: Morally-relevant theory of mind (2011) · cites this paper as Nobes, et al., 2009
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Metadata
- Authors
- Nobes, G., Panagiotaki, G., & Pawson, C.
- Affiliations
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- University of East London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Nobes, Gavin
- Venue
- Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 104
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 382-397
- ISSN
- 0022-0965 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2148468027
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 1.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- eprints.uwe.ac.uk
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Experimental Child Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (acceptedVersion)
- UWE Research Repository (UWE Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Keywords
- moral judgment, children's moral reasoning, intention, negligence, outcomes, accidental actions, moral valence, developmental differences, blame attribution
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child Development, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Judgment, Male, Morals, Motivation, Social Perception, Intention, Young Adult
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