Traits as dimensions or categories? Developmental change in the understanding of trait terms.

Abstract

Recent research has suggested that young children have relatively well-developed trait concepts. However, this literature overlooks potential age-related differences in children's appreciation of the fundamentally dimensional nature of traits. In Study 1, we presented 4-, 5-, and 7-year-old children and adults with sets of characters and asked them to indicate the preferences of a target character who shared appearance attributes with one character (appearance match) and shared a common trait with the other character (trait match). Traits were presented in a way that emphasized either their categorical or their dimensional nature. When the dimensional nature of trait terms was emphasized, the youngest children made fewer trait-based inferences, and the use of traits increased with age. In Study 2, we gave 4-year-old children and adults the same task except that the extent to which appearance cues could serve as a meaningful basis of judgment was varied. Results were consistent with the findings of Study 1, although children were more likely to rely on dimensional presentations of traits in the absence of strong appearance cues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Spontaneous goal inferences are often inferred faster than spontaneous trait inferences

“…Theorizing on person impression formation suggests that trait inferences are often guided, not only by behavioral identification and situational constraints as traditional accounts suggest (Gilbert et al,88;Trope,86), but also by the goals and motives underlying intentional behaviors (Read et al, 1990;Reeder, 2009). Similarly, research with infants suggests that young, preverbal infants make goal inferences and preferences based on the observation of an individual's actions (Gergely et al, 1995;Gergely & Csibra, 2003;Hamlin et al, 2007Hamlin et al, , 2010Lakusta et al, 2007;Onishi & Baillargeon, 2005), while they are not yet capable of making use of trait inferences (Gonzalez et al, 2010). Recent neurological research with adults using ERPs points to the same conclusion, but was hereto limited by a lack of on-line memory measures (Van der Cruyssen et al, 2009;Van Duynslaeger et al, 2008.…”

“…In contrast, traits seem to play a less central role in person perception of young children. Only at the age of about 4 years do they use dispositional qualities or traits such as shy, neat or silly, to describe someone (Gonzalez, Zosuls, & Ruble, 2010). In a recent meta-analysis of over 200 neuroscientific studies on social inferences by adults, Van Overwalle (2009) proposed that (verbal) descriptions of behavior activate the so-called mentalizing brain network.…”

From Pink Frilly Dresses to ‘One of the Boys’: A Social‐Cognitive Analysis of Gender Identity Development and Gender Bias

“…First, children’s understanding of the nature of personal attributes changes. In early childhood, children understand traits as categories (e.g., ‘shy’ or ‘not shy’) (Heyman & Gelman, 1999, 2000), whereas during elementary school, they increasingly view traits as dimensional in nature (e.g., ‘a little bit shy’ or ‘very shy’) (Gonzalez, Zosuls, & Ruble, 2010). Thus, girls learn that they can be only a little bit or a lot girly and still be considered girls.…”

The Relationship Between Spontaneous Trait Inferences and Spontaneous Situational Inferences: A Developmental Approach

“…The findings in studies generally have indicated that, for young children (that is, before the age of 7 or 8 years; see Gonzalez, Zosuls, & Ruble, 2010), traits play a less significant role in person perception than when the child is older. Instead, young children are sensitive to situational determinants of behavior (Gonzalez et al, 2010).…”

“…Instead, young children are sensitive to situational determinants of behavior (Gonzalez et al, 2010). Starting around the age of 7 or 8 years, children begin to understand traits in relation to mental entities (Yuill & Pearson, 1998).…”