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Children use rules to coordinate in a social dilemma.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Grueneisen, S; Tomasello, M
Published in: Journal of experimental child psychology
March 2019

Humans are frequently required to coordinate their actions in social dilemmas (e.g. when one of two drivers has to yield for the other at an intersection). This is commonly achieved by individuals following communally known rules that prescribe how people should behave. From relatively early in development, children swiftly pick up the rules of their culture and even start creating game rules among peers. Thus far, however, little is known about children's abilities create rules to regulate their own interactions in social dilemma situations in which individuals' interests are partially in conflict. Here, we repeatedly selected dyads of children (5- and 8-year-olds, N = 144) at random from a group and presented them with a chicken game - a social dilemma in which individuals have conflicting motives but coordination is required to avoid mutual failure. In game breaks, groups reconvened and had the opportunity to think of additional game rules. Eight- but not five-year-olds readily came up with and agreed upon impartial rules to guide their subsequent game behavior (but only after adult prompting). Moreover, when playing by the self-made rules, children achieved higher payoffs, had fewer conflicts, and coordinated with greater efficiency than when playing without a rule - which mimics the functional consequences of rules on a societal level. These findings suggest that by at least age 8, children are capable of using rules to independently self-regulate potential conflicts of interest with peers.

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Published In

Journal of experimental child psychology

DOI

EISSN

1096-0457

ISSN

0022-0965

Publication Date

March 2019

Volume

179

Start / End Page

362 / 374

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Peer Group
  • Motivation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Games, Recreational
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Conflict, Psychological
 

Citation

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Grueneisen, S., & Tomasello, M. (2019). Children use rules to coordinate in a social dilemma. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 179, 362–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2018.11.001
Grueneisen, Sebastian, and Michael Tomasello. “Children use rules to coordinate in a social dilemma.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 179 (March 2019): 362–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2018.11.001.
Grueneisen S, Tomasello M. Children use rules to coordinate in a social dilemma. Journal of experimental child psychology. 2019 Mar;179:362–74.
Grueneisen, Sebastian, and Michael Tomasello. “Children use rules to coordinate in a social dilemma.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, vol. 179, Mar. 2019, pp. 362–74. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2018.11.001.
Grueneisen S, Tomasello M. Children use rules to coordinate in a social dilemma. Journal of experimental child psychology. 2019 Mar;179:362–374.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of experimental child psychology

DOI

EISSN

1096-0457

ISSN

0022-0965

Publication Date

March 2019

Volume

179

Start / End Page

362 / 374

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Behavior
  • Peer Group
  • Motivation
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Games, Recreational
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Conflict, Psychological