Role of Various Fault Attributions and Other Factors in Children's Anticipated Response to Hypothetical Peers With Undesirable Characteristics

Abstract

Two studies examined the role of various fault attributions and other factors in children's anticipated response to hypothetical peers described as having an undesirable characteristic. The children were found to distinguish among various fault attributions (i.e., general, onset, and perpetuation; study 1), and they tended to agree more strongly that the peers were responsible for the perpetuation than the onset of these characteristics (studies 1 and 2). In study 1, perceiving an aggressive or overweight peer as similar to a friend and believing that the overweight peer will overcome this undesirable characteristic were found to be associated with a relatively favorable response to these peers. The more strongly the children agreed that (1) an aggressive peer is generally at fault for his/her undesirable characteristic (study 1) and (2) peers who are aggressive, overweight, shy, or a poor student are at fault for the onset of their undesirable characteristics (study 2), the less favorably they anticipated responding to these peers. Unexpectedly, attributing responsibility to forces ‘outside the peer's control’ (i.e., parents and biology) for his/her undesirable characteristic in study 2 was not found to be associated with a relatively favorable response to any peer with an undesirable characteristic.

Role of Fault Attributions and Other Factors in Adults’ Attitudes Toward Hypothetical Children With an Undesirable Characteristic

“…On a more positive note, the more the adults in the present study agreed that they frequently interact with children who are similar to the hypothetical child, the more favorable their attitudes were toward the child. Although the current study yielded a number of interesting findings, many of which are consistent with prior research using child samples (i.e., Barnett et al, 2012;2015), caution is needed when interpreting results from exploratory studies. Future research, conducted in more naturalistic settings, needs to systematically examine the impact of younger and older individuals' beliefs about, attitudes toward, and experiences with ''real'' children with various undesirable characteristics on their treatment of these children.…”

“…Although some of the adults' beliefs about, and attitudes toward, children with an undesirable characteristic were found to be congruent with those of younger individuals in prior investigations, there was one striking age-related inconsistency. Whereas the fifth-and sixth-grade students in a prior ''child study'' (Barnett et al, 2015, Study 2) tended to rate a hypothetical peer's parents as less responsible for the onset and the perpetuation of the peer's undesirable characteristic than the peer him/herself, the adults in the present study tended to agree more strongly with the notion that a child's parents are responsible for the onset and the perpetuation of a child's undesirable characteristic than the child him/herself. Despite this clear ''disagreement,'' the belief that a child was responsible for the onset of his/her undesirable characteristic was the only fault attribution that was predictive of a heightened negative attitude toward that child for both the young students in the prior study (Barnett et al, 2015, Study 2) and the current adult sample.…”

“…Whereas the fifth-and sixth-grade students in a prior ''child study'' (Barnett et al, 2015, Study 2) tended to rate a hypothetical peer's parents as less responsible for the onset and the perpetuation of the peer's undesirable characteristic than the peer him/herself, the adults in the present study tended to agree more strongly with the notion that a child's parents are responsible for the onset and the perpetuation of a child's undesirable characteristic than the child him/herself. Despite this clear ''disagreement,'' the belief that a child was responsible for the onset of his/her undesirable characteristic was the only fault attribution that was predictive of a heightened negative attitude toward that child for both the young students in the prior study (Barnett et al, 2015, Study 2) and the current adult sample. On a more positive note, the more the adults in the present study agreed that they frequently interact with children who are similar to the hypothetical child, the more favorable their attitudes were toward the child.…”

“…Second, research has demonstrated that adults' unfavorable appraisals of children's characteristics and behaviors can negatively affect the children's developing self-concept and self-esteem (e.g., Bois, Sarrazin, Brustad, Trouilloud, & Cury, 2005;Cole et al, 1997;Felson & Reed, 1986), especially among those children who routinely face derogation from their peers because they possess an undesirable characteristic (Cole et al, 1997). Consequently, as a replication and extension of prior research involving child participants (e.g., Barnett et al, 2012;2015), the present study was designed to explore (1) adults' beliefs about who or what is at fault for the onset and the perpetuation of a child's undesirable characteristic and (2) the role these various fault attributions and other factors may play in predicting the adults' attitudes toward children with an undesirable characteristic. By replicating and extending prior research with children (Barnett et al, 2012;2015), the current study explored the extent to which adults' beliefs about, and attitudes toward, children with an undesirable characteristic are congruent with those of younger individuals in prior investigations.…”

“…For instance, the extent to which children attribute fault to a peer for an undesirable characteristic has been found to play a larger role in their negative anticipated response to that peer than their expectations concerning the peer's desire to change, effort to change, and success in changing his or her undesirable characteristic (Barnett et al, 2012). Furthermore, children's ascriptions of fault have been found to predict their anticipated responses to a hypothetical peer with an undesirable characteristic above and beyond their perceived similarity to the hypothetical peer or their positive experiences of contact with other children who are similar to the hypothetical peer (Barnett et al, 2015, Study 1).…”