The University of Plymouth recently conducted research that revealed that children could challenge each other to break the rules. The study authors reported that this happens to children worldwide irrespective of their cultures.
How the researchers conducted the study
Collaborating with the Free University of Berlin, the research focused on 376 children from different societal backgrounds. The respondents were between the ages of 5-8 years and resided in Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia.
The study authors taught the respondents to play a block sorting game. Half of the respondents were instructed to sort the blocks by colors, while the rest sorted them by shapes.
The respondents were placed in groups of two, with one playing while their partner watched. The study authors revealed that each time the respondent playing broke the rules, their partner would intervene and force them to alter the behavior.
The children intervened differently depending on where they lived
The type of intervention presented by the partner differed from one respondent to the other. For example, respondents from the “rural areas” utilized verbal protests than respondents from the urban areas.
The first study that focused on the subject matter revealed the rate at which our societal norms or behaviors influence our cooperation and coordination with other individuals.
Dr. Patriciah Kannglesser, one of the leading authors from the University of Plymouth, stated that the study investigated children from various communities and revealed that their fundamental-life interactions yielded different results. However, she reiterated that the authors did not instruct the respondents on what and when to intervene.
The study authors now plan to investigate the need for children to intervene when their partners break the rules. The study authors also want to investigate where children learn the methods of intervening and if it’s from the parents or guardians.
Dr. Kannglasser further stated that the authors assumed that children from rural areas intervened more because they knew their partners more than expected. However, the study also proved that individuals from small-scale communities did not require rules as usual confrontations.
The study authors revealed that other studies should be conducted to resolve the scenario.
