Assessing Infants' Social Evaluations: Virtual Replication and Extension Using Repeated Measures
Format
Poster Presentation (Research Day, April 30)
Faculty Mentor Name
Carolynn Kohn
Faculty Mentor Department
Psychology
Graduate Student Mentor Name
Samantha Crooks
Graduate Student Mentor Department
Psychology
Additional Mentors
Mariel Montes, m_montes1@u.pacific.edu, Psychology
Alondra Del Real, a_delreal2@u.pacific.edu, Psychology
Mark Matz, m_matz@u.pacific.edu, Psychology
Abstract/Artist Statement
Highly cited research on infant social evaluations suggests that infants have innate, or unlearned, morality. Typically, infants’ (innate) preferences (for moral others) are evaluated by having them watch a live puppet show of a character who helps another puppet and one who hinders the puppet. Infants are then prompted to make a choice between the helper and hinderer puppets. The first puppet the infant reaches for is measured as their choice. In these studies, more infants (approx. 67%) reach for the helper puppet more than the hinderer puppet, and these data are held up as evidence of infants’ unlearned sense of morality. However, these data may not be reliable because infants make only one choice. To address this limitation, other researchers have had infants make several choices after a single puppet show. However, critics of these studies have contended that an infant’s first choice is their “true choice” and multiple choices might be confusing for the infant. Our study addressed this limitation and critique. We assessed six infants virtually (via Zoom) due to COVID-19 restrictions. Infants first watched a puppet show video depicting a helper puppet and a hinderer puppet, then were prompted to choose between them; this sequence was repeated three additional times, so that infants always watched puppet shows prior to making a puppet choice. We observed no clear patterns in infant choices and several infants failed to make a choice. Results suggest a virtual format may not be suitable to evaluate infants’ choices. Given the growing body of failed replications, researchers ought to examine infants’ choice stability to understand the conditions, if they exist, under which infants make reliable choices.
Location
Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center
Start Date
30-4-2022 10:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2022 12:00 PM
Assessing Infants' Social Evaluations: Virtual Replication and Extension Using Repeated Measures
Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center
Highly cited research on infant social evaluations suggests that infants have innate, or unlearned, morality. Typically, infants’ (innate) preferences (for moral others) are evaluated by having them watch a live puppet show of a character who helps another puppet and one who hinders the puppet. Infants are then prompted to make a choice between the helper and hinderer puppets. The first puppet the infant reaches for is measured as their choice. In these studies, more infants (approx. 67%) reach for the helper puppet more than the hinderer puppet, and these data are held up as evidence of infants’ unlearned sense of morality. However, these data may not be reliable because infants make only one choice. To address this limitation, other researchers have had infants make several choices after a single puppet show. However, critics of these studies have contended that an infant’s first choice is their “true choice” and multiple choices might be confusing for the infant. Our study addressed this limitation and critique. We assessed six infants virtually (via Zoom) due to COVID-19 restrictions. Infants first watched a puppet show video depicting a helper puppet and a hinderer puppet, then were prompted to choose between them; this sequence was repeated three additional times, so that infants always watched puppet shows prior to making a puppet choice. We observed no clear patterns in infant choices and several infants failed to make a choice. Results suggest a virtual format may not be suitable to evaluate infants’ choices. Given the growing body of failed replications, researchers ought to examine infants’ choice stability to understand the conditions, if they exist, under which infants make reliable choices.