Partner in crime: Beneficial cooperation overcomes children’s aversion to antisocial others

Abstract

Young children display strong aversion toward antisocial individuals, but also feel responsible for joint activities and express a strong sense of group loyalty. This paper aims to understand how beneficial cooperation with an antisocial partner shapes preschoolers’ attitudes, preferences, and moral judgments concerning antisocial individuals. We argue that although young children display a strong aversion to antisocial characters, children may overcome this aversion when they stand to personally benefit. In Study 1a (N = 62), beneficial cooperation with an antisocial partner resulted in the children's later preference for the antisocial partner over the neutral partner. Study 1b (N = 91) replicated this effect with discrete measurement of liking (resource distribution) and showed that children rewarded more and punished less the antisocial partner in the beneficial cooperation setting. In Study 2, (N = 58), children's aversion to an antisocial in‐group member decreased when the cooperation benefited other in‐group members. Finally, in Study 3 (N = 62), when children passively observed the antisocial individual, personal benefits from the antisocial behavior did not change their negative attitude toward the antisocial individual. Overall, beneficial cooperation with the antisocial partner increased the children's liking and preference for the antisocial partner, but did not affect the children's moral judgments. Presented evidence suggests that by the age of 4, children develop a strong obligation to collaborate with partners who help them to acquire resources—even when these partners harm third parties, which children recognize as immoral.

An earlier role for intent in children’s partner choice versus punishment.

“…And, infants give up resources to interact with someone who helps others rather than harms others (Tasimi & Wynn, 2016). At 2 years of age, children prefer to help those who have helped others over those who have harmed others (Dahl et al, 2013), and by 4 years, children preferentially choose and distribute resources to partners whose bad action benefitted the child (compared to when it did not benefit the child; Myslinska Szarek et al, 2020). Combined, these results demonstrate early-emerging sensitivity to others' behavior in infants' and young children's social evaluations (especially choices between two agents).…”

Children’s sociomoral judgements of antisocial but not prosocial others depend on recipients’ past moral behaviour

“…Finally, recent research has shown that when young children collaborate with partners who help them acquire resources but also harm third parties, their obligation to sustain the beneficial relationship is stronger than their aversion to antisocial others. In the result, children express a positive attitude towards the partner, even though they recognize the partner's actions as immoral (Myslinska-Szarek, Bocian, Baryla, & Wojciszke, 2020). Therefore, we propose that children's sociomoral judgements of individuals who harm others depend on the social and relational context in which antisocial behaviour occurs.…”

Moderators of the Liking Bias in Judgments of Moral Character

“…Moreover, a recent study has demonstrated that young children like individuals who harm antisocial characters (vs. prosocial or neutral) and, therefore, judge their behavior as less bad . Finally, although young children display a strong aversion toward antisocial individuals, research has shown that beneficial cooperation (vs. nonbeneficial) with an antisocial partner increases children's liking and preference for the antisocial partner (Myslinska-Szarek et al, 2021).…”