Type
Text
Type
Dissertation
Date
2011-09-13
Keywords
social cues, children's development
Source
This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/11401/71074
Publisher
The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
Format
application/pdf
Abstract
The current study examined age-related changes in how well young children could identify other children’s intentions in social situations. This relation was examined for children’s judgments of others’ intentions in situations where one of two social cues was present and when negative outcomes were either severe or minor. Participants were 94 children between the ages of 4 and 7 years who were recruited from the community. Participants watched several short videos of two children interacting and stated whether one of the children acted on purpose or by accident. Children’s correct judgments of others’ intentions increased with age. A stronger association was found between age and children’s correct intention judgments when negative outcomes in the situation were minor, compared to more severe outcomes. Children also made more correct judgments of intentions for verbal reaction cues compared to gaze cues and for accidental gaze cues compared to intentional gaze cues. Only the older children in the sample could interpret intentions based on accidental gaze cues with greater than chance frequency. Implications iv are discussed for parents and educators who want to facilitate appropriate development of how children perceive the intentions of their peers.
Recommended Citation
Grande, Vincent, "Children's Development in Identifying the Intentions of Others: The Influence of Social Cues and Outcome Severity" (2011). Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions). 281.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/stony-brook-theses-and-dissertations-collection/281