Factors Influencing Young Children's use of Motives ... - School Sites

Results
Nelson's results are complex and difficult to understand at times.
Here are a few key overall findings from across both experiments:
• “…making a moral judgment requires understanding of the
evaluative concepts (i.e. ‘good’,
‘bad’) to be applied.”
• “Also required is comprehension of the motives or goals involved
(e.g. ‘sharing,’ ‘helping,’
‘hurting.’ ”
• ‘bad’ is more important to younger children (it has a greater effect
on ratings) than 'good'
• young children make more recall errors on motives than on
outcomes
• children develop the concept of bad before good (initially ‘good’
= no ‘badness’) so use the
first negative cue (whether outcome or motive)