Playing by the rules: Self-interest information influences children's trust and trustworthiness in the absence of feedback

Bolivar Reyes-Jaquez; Catharine H. Echols

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2014.10.002

Playing by the rules: Self-interest information influences children's trust and trustworthiness in the absence of feedback

Bolivar Reyes-Jaquez, Catharine H. Echols

Institute of Child Development

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study documented how children's decisions to trust and help partners in a game depend on the game's incentives. Adults, 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds (. N=. 128) guessed the location of hidden prizes, assisted by a partner who observed the hiding. After each hiding event the partner shared information with participants about the prize's location. Participants earned prizes every time they guessed correctly. The partner earned prizes either from participants' correct (cooperation incentive) or incorrect (competition incentive) guesses. Children and adults trusted their partner more often when the game incentivized cooperation versus competition. A complementary pattern was observed when participants assisted their partner find prizes they observed being hidden: Participants strategically shared truthful information more often when the game rewarded cooperation.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	140-154
Number of pages	15
Journal	Cognition
Volume	134
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2014.10.002
State	Published - Jan 1 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by NSF Grant BCS-0447018 to C.H.E. and a Fulbright fellowship to B.R.J. We are grateful to our participants and to the undergraduate students who assisted with the research, as well as to Jacqueline Woolley for her helpful comments.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Cooperation
Deception
Decision-making
Inferential reasoning
Motivation

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10.1016/j.cognition.2014.10.002

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title = "Playing by the rules: Self-interest information influences children's trust and trustworthiness in the absence of feedback",

abstract = "This study documented how children's decisions to trust and help partners in a game depend on the game's incentives. Adults, 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds (. N=. 128) guessed the location of hidden prizes, assisted by a partner who observed the hiding. After each hiding event the partner shared information with participants about the prize's location. Participants earned prizes every time they guessed correctly. The partner earned prizes either from participants' correct (cooperation incentive) or incorrect (competition incentive) guesses. Children and adults trusted their partner more often when the game incentivized cooperation versus competition. A complementary pattern was observed when participants assisted their partner find prizes they observed being hidden: Participants strategically shared truthful information more often when the game rewarded cooperation.",

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AU - Echols, Catharine H.

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N2 - This study documented how children's decisions to trust and help partners in a game depend on the game's incentives. Adults, 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds (. N=. 128) guessed the location of hidden prizes, assisted by a partner who observed the hiding. After each hiding event the partner shared information with participants about the prize's location. Participants earned prizes every time they guessed correctly. The partner earned prizes either from participants' correct (cooperation incentive) or incorrect (competition incentive) guesses. Children and adults trusted their partner more often when the game incentivized cooperation versus competition. A complementary pattern was observed when participants assisted their partner find prizes they observed being hidden: Participants strategically shared truthful information more often when the game rewarded cooperation.

AB - This study documented how children's decisions to trust and help partners in a game depend on the game's incentives. Adults, 5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds (. N=. 128) guessed the location of hidden prizes, assisted by a partner who observed the hiding. After each hiding event the partner shared information with participants about the prize's location. Participants earned prizes every time they guessed correctly. The partner earned prizes either from participants' correct (cooperation incentive) or incorrect (competition incentive) guesses. Children and adults trusted their partner more often when the game incentivized cooperation versus competition. A complementary pattern was observed when participants assisted their partner find prizes they observed being hidden: Participants strategically shared truthful information more often when the game rewarded cooperation.

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KW - Deception

KW - Decision-making

KW - Inferential reasoning

KW - Motivation

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Playing by the rules: Self-interest information influences children's trust and trustworthiness in the absence of feedback

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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