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A comparison of American and Nepalese children's concepts of freedom of choice and social constraint.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Chernyak, N; Kushnir, T; Sullivan, KM; Wang, Q
Published in: Cognitive science
September 2013

Recent work has shown that preschool-aged children and adults understand freedom of choice regardless of culture, but that adults across cultures differ in perceiving social obligations as constraints on action. To investigate the development of these cultural differences and universalities, we interviewed school-aged children (4-11) in Nepal and the United States regarding beliefs about people's freedom of choice and constraint to follow preferences, perform impossible acts, and break social obligations. Children across cultures and ages universally endorsed the choice to follow preferences but not to perform impossible acts. Age and culture effects also emerged: Young children in both cultures viewed social obligations as constraints on action, but American children did so less as they aged. These findings suggest that while basic notions of free choice are universal, recognitions of social obligations as constraints on action may be culturally learned.

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Published In

Cognitive science

DOI

EISSN

1551-6709

ISSN

0364-0213

Publication Date

September 2013

Volume

37

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1343 / 1355

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Social Responsibility
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Nepal
  • Morals
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Freedom
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
 

Citation

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Chernyak, N., Kushnir, T., Sullivan, K. M., & Wang, Q. (2013). A comparison of American and Nepalese children's concepts of freedom of choice and social constraint. Cognitive Science, 37(7), 1343–1355. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12046
Chernyak, Nadia, Tamar Kushnir, Katherine M. Sullivan, and Qi Wang. “A comparison of American and Nepalese children's concepts of freedom of choice and social constraint.Cognitive Science 37, no. 7 (September 2013): 1343–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12046.
Chernyak N, Kushnir T, Sullivan KM, Wang Q. A comparison of American and Nepalese children's concepts of freedom of choice and social constraint. Cognitive science. 2013 Sep;37(7):1343–55.
Chernyak, Nadia, et al. “A comparison of American and Nepalese children's concepts of freedom of choice and social constraint.Cognitive Science, vol. 37, no. 7, Sept. 2013, pp. 1343–55. Epmc, doi:10.1111/cogs.12046.
Chernyak N, Kushnir T, Sullivan KM, Wang Q. A comparison of American and Nepalese children's concepts of freedom of choice and social constraint. Cognitive science. 2013 Sep;37(7):1343–1355.
Journal cover image

Published In

Cognitive science

DOI

EISSN

1551-6709

ISSN

0364-0213

Publication Date

September 2013

Volume

37

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1343 / 1355

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Social Responsibility
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Nepal
  • Morals
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Freedom
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology