The development of prosocial behavior based on second-order information.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25885051
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMIZU MAYUKO 大阪大学, 人間科学研究科, 助教 (60707793)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 向社会的行動 / 二次情報 / 発達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To maintain cooperation with a large population, selective prosocial behavior based on second-order information (information about the characteristics of a previous partner of the partner) is essential. In the present study, we examined how selective prosocial behavior based on second-order information develops during early infancy. Our experiments were carried out with infants of 8-month-olds and 16-month-olds. While 16-month-olds showed prosocial behavior based on second-order information, 8-month-olds didn’t show such behavior. It is suggested that infants’ prosocial behavior become based on more complex information about the context in which partner's behavior is performed after the first year of life.

Free Research Field

社会科学