Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Can we just cooperate? Children can.

-

New research explores how children cooperate in a group to achieve a common goal, even at a personal cost.

(U.S. Army Garrison Casey via Flickr Creative Commons)

The study, published in Psychological Science involved a game in which children were given water and had to decide how much to contribute to a common pool. If they reached a certain threshold, the group would benefit, but they also earned rewards for any water they kept.

The majority of children cooperated to reach the group’s goal, with some variation depending on whether they saw only their own outcomes or everyone’s outcomes. When children could see the contributions of others, competition became more apparent over time, although they generally still worked together.

The study shows that clear goals and appropriate feedback can encourage cooperative behavior, even in young children. The researchers highlight that cooperation can be promoted when individuals focus on collective benefits rather than self-interest. These findings provide insights into how society might tackle larger issues by balancing personal gain with collective good.

The work is the latest in a growing body of research by Patricia Kanngiesser, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Plymouth and the study’s lead author, along with her colleague Dr Jan Woike. Much of their work uses games to study human behavior and investigate ways to promote cooperation.

“A lot of the challenges facing society today involve choices between one’s self-interest and contributing to the greater good,” Dr Kanngiesser said. “That is certainly the case if we think about things like climate action, where targets can only be achieved if people and nations work together. Our study shows that working towards a clear target can yield results that ultimately benefit everyone. Even children as young as six can do it.”

Press Releasehttp://news.schoolsdo.org
This information was provided in a press release and may be edited for clarity and/or brevity.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

Some IL superintendents report absenteeism increase

0
Some schools are reporting a momentary uptick in absenteeism, reportedly due to the president's recent executive order tied to immigration enforcement.

Digital Harbor HS closed after vandalism