The development of cooperative norms and behaviors in childhood

Cooperative behaviors are a cornerstone of human interaction. It is well known that external factors are important in driving cooperative behaviors: people cooperate to avoid punishment and to maintain positive reputations. However, these external factors do not provide a full account of the variables influencing cooperative behaviors. This project tests the hypothesis that cooperative decisions are also driven by internal motives and that childhood represents an important period during which these internal motives are acquired. Broader impacts of this project include new insights into fostering cooperative behaviors, research training for early-career scholars, and wide dissemination of research products with the research community and broader public. The central idea guiding this research is that the norms that govern cooperative behaviors become integrated into children’s developing sense of self. As part of this process, children become motivated to cooperate because they come to view cooperative behaviors as valuable in and of themselves, and increasingly central to their identities. In a series of studies with 5- to 10-year children as well as adult participants, the research team uses longitudinal behavioral methods, computational modeling, and trajectory tracking of participants’ motor movements to examine developmental changes in cooperative norms and behaviors. Results of this project hold potential for both theoretical advancements and practical insights into cooperative behaviors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.