Children's evaluations of reasonableness: Utilising a novel method of body posture

一个独特的人类特征是我们能够从他人的角度监控自己的行为并相应地进行调整（Tomasello，2016）。例如，如果我们被别人观察，我们倾向于帮助更多，这样我们就被评价为善良/慷慨（Haley & Fessler，2005）。当我们需要帮助时，我们经常会考虑我们的请求在别人看来是否“合理”或“正当”，以增加得到帮助的可能性，同时降低被视为自私/贪婪的前景。这种对他人如何看待我们行为的意识是儿童社会认知发展的里程碑（Tomasello，2016）。研究表明，学龄前儿童非常善于判断某人的要求是否合理。然而，研究儿童的评价，他们自己的人际行为的合理性，特别是当提出要求，是显着稀疏。有一些指标表明，孩子们可能会考虑他们的行为是如何被他人感知的，但对这些评价中涉及的情绪知之甚少。一种通过使用微软Kinect深度传感器成像测量他们的上半身姿势的变化来研究情绪的新方法（Hepach等人，2015).摘要本项目将探讨学龄前儿童是否能够考虑他们的行动可能会被认为在各种情况下。我们想探讨儿童是否/如何能够解释在社会背景中看到的变量（例如，博士第一年：申请人的申请费用是多少？就合理性而言，一个重要的追求途径是要求的代价。例如，向朋友要最后一块糖比打开后立即要一块糖更不合理。因此，本研究将调查3岁和5岁的孩子是否注意到他们的被请求者的需要。3-5岁的孩子将执行各种任务，并将被要求向房间里的另一个人索取物品。在非正当条件下，请求人必须向没有多余笔的被请求人请求一支笔，而在正当条件下，被请求人拥有多余笔。据预测，儿童的身体姿势将在不合理的条件下收缩更多。博士二年级：谁的要求受益？这项研究调查了当孩子代表另一个人提出不合理的要求时，他们是否会感到不那么“负责”。孩子们将被要求提出一个不合理的要求，并要求一个被要求者谁没有多余的笔。然而，请求者将被分派为他们自己或为“想要”另一笔的对等体请求附加笔的任务。据预测，当孩子们提出对自己有利的不合理要求时，他们的姿势会比代表别人提出不合理要求时更收缩。博士3年级：谁是被要求者？最后一项研究考虑了儿童在提出请求时的姿势是否会因被请求者的身份而发生变化。有人可能会说，人们对那些我们想给他们留下深刻印象的人的要求更加谨慎。儿童将再次被要求提出各种合理和不合理的要求。在任何请求之前，孩子会听到一些关于被请求者的信息。被请求者将被呈现为稍后将决定是否共享他/她的一些贴纸的人，或者被呈现为没有什么可共享的人。据预测，儿童的姿态将缩小最当说出一个不合理的要求，一个人谁拥有资源sharing.ImpactBoth学者和公众受益于增加理解的发展，合理性在儿童的导航的社会世界。此外，它为儿童的声誉管理提供了另一条途径。

BackgroundA unique human characteristic is our ability to monitor our own behaviour from the perspective of others and adjust accordingly (Tomasello, 2016). For instance, we tend to assist more if we are observed by others so that we are evaluated as kind/generous (Haley & Fessler, 2005). When we need help, we often consider whether our requests seem 'reasonable' or 'justified' to others to increase the likelihood of being helped, whilst lowering the prospect of being perceived as selfish/greedy.This awareness of how others deem our actions is a milestone in children's socio-cognitive development (Tomasello, 2016). Research suggests that preschoolers are quite good at judging whether someone's requests are reasonable. However, research on children's evaluations of the reasonableness of their own interpersonal actions, especially when making requests, is notably sparse. There are some indicators as to when children are likely to consider how their actions are perceived by others, but not much is known about the emotions involved in these appraisals. MethodologyOne novel method to investigate emotion by measuring changes in their upper-body posture using Microsoft Kinect depth sensor imaging (Hepach et al., 2015).SummaryThis project will explore whether preschool children are able to consider how their actions might be perceived in various scenarios. We would like to explore whether/how children will be able to account for variables seen in social contexts (e.g., the characteristics of their requestees).PhD Year 1: How costly is the request for the requestee?An important avenue to pursue in terms of reasonableness is the costliness of requests. For instance, it is less justified to ask for a friend's last sweet than it is to ask for one immediately after the pack is opened. This study will therefore investigate whether 3- and 5-year-olds pay attention to their requestee's needs. 3- and 5-year-olds will carry out various tasks and will be asked to request items from another individual in the room. In the unjustified condition, the requester must request a pen from a requestee who has none to spare, whilst in the justified condition, the requestee possesses a surplus. It is predicted that children's body posture will shrink more in the unjustified condition.PhD Year 2: Who does the request benefit?This study investigates if children would feel less 'responsible' when making an unjustified request on behalf of another individual. Children will be asked to make an unjustified request and request a pen from a requestee who has none to spare. However, the requester will either be tasked with requesting an additional pen for themselves or for a peer who "wants" another pen. It is predicted that children's posture will shrink more when they make an unjustified request benefitting themselves, than when they make an unjustified request on behalf of another person.PhD Year 3: Who is the requestee?The final study considers whether children's posture changes when making requests depending on who their requestee is. One can argue that people are more careful about their requests with those whom we want to impress. Children will again be asked to make a variety of justified and unjustified requests. Prior to any requesting the child will hear some information about the requestee. The requestee will be presented as either someone who will later decide whether to share some of his/her stickers or as someone who has nothing to share. It is predicted that children's posture will shrink the most when voicing an unjustified request to a person who has resources to share.ImpactBoth academics and the public benefit from increased understanding of the development of reasonableness in children's navigation of the social world. Furthermore, it provides an additional avenue into children's reputation management.