Thisstudyinvestigatedchildren’sevaluationsofdisloyalin-groupmembersinlowtohigh-needsituations.
Dochildrenthinkloyaltytoone’sgroupisamoralobligation?Pastresearchshowschildrendisapproveofdisloyalin-groupmemberswhosupporttheout-group(Abrams&Rutland,2008),whileotherresearchindicatesout-grouphelpingistoleratedwhentheout-groupneedshelp.Littleisknownaboutthetippingpointfromintolerancetotoleranceofdisloyalacts.Thecurrentstudyexamineswhetherchildrenthinkloyaltytoone’sgroupisamoralobligation,byevaluatingtheirperceptionsofvaryinglevelsofdisloyalty(low-high)tothein-groupinlowtohighneedsituations.
• 534th and8th graders• (64%Female,MAGE = 12.77)• Children andadolescentsread
andrespondedtohypotheticalstoriesaboutpeergroupsthatvariedintheirneedforaresource(water)andthedisloyaltyofanin-groupmember. ResearchSupport:FundingfromtheUniversityofSanFrancisco
ChildrenWeighNeedandLevelofDisloyaltyWhenEvaluatingDisloyalIn-groupMembersLilySamiee,ValentinGulyas,JacquelynGlidden,MA,AngelicaBueno,AdrianaAlvarez,DakotaCorrales,EleanorSammons,
EmmelynHernandez,AlineHitti,PhD,UniversityofSanFrancisco
Method
Introduction MeasuresParticipantsrespondedtothreestoriesabouttwogroupsthatneedwater:1)in-groupandout-grouphaveequalneedforwater,2)in-groupneedsmorewaterthantheout-group,3)out-groupneedsmorewaterthanthein-group.Inthesestories,childrenrespondedtoadisloyalmemberwhogavealittlewatertotheout-group(2of6bottles),alotofwatertotheout-group(5of6bottles),ordistributedthewaterequally(3of6bottles). Participantsevaluatedthedisloyalactandevaluatedtheimportanceofhelpingthein-groupandout-group.
ResultsDiscussion
Childrenthinkloyaltytoone’sgroupisnotobligatory.Helpingtheout-groupis
sometimesamoralnecessity,ifitcomesatalowcosttoone’sin-group.Childrenalsoviewdisloyaltyasmoreacceptableiftheout-grouphashighneed.Futureresearch shouldexploreotherfactors whichmayinfluencethemoralobligationofgrouployalty,such
as loyaltytoone'sfamily.
3) Pairedt-testsindicatedthathelpingtheoutgroup(M =5.038,SD =1.143)wasmoreimportantthanhelpingthein-group(M =4.057,SD =1.447)whenthein-grouphadlowneed(t(52)=-4.68,p <.001)),theoppositewasalsotrueforwhenthein-grouphadhighneed.
Howokay/notokaywasitforJeremytodowhathedid?1=ReallynotOkay,to6=ReallyOkay
2)ArepeatedmeasuresANOVAindicatedsignificantdifferencesbetweenlevelsofneedfor:1)evaluatingtheimportanceofhelpingthein-group,(F(2,100)=15.112,p<.001,η2=.232)),and2)evaluatingtheimportanceofhelpingtheoutgroup(F(2,100)=13.028p<.001, η2 =.207)).
HowimportantisitthatJeremygivewatertoin-group/out-group?1=Verynotimportant,to6=Veryimportant
Figure1.Evaluationoftheact,1=ReallynotOkay,to6=ReallyOkay
1) Whenevaluatingthedisloyalact,therewasaNeedXDistributioninteractioneffect,(F(4,100)=21.556,p<.001,η2=.463)).Whenthein-grouphadhighneed,participantstoleratedalowlevelofdisloyalty (2bottlestotheout-group).Themid- andhigh- disloyaltysituations(3:3and5:1distributions)wereleasttoleratedwhenthein-grouphadhighneed.Thehighdisloyaltysituation(5bottlestotheout-group)wasmosttoleratedwhenthein-grouphadlowneed(out-grouphadhighneed).
Figure2.Importanceofhelpingthein-groupandout-group,1=Verynotimportantto6=Veryimportant
2.24
5.95
2.592.59
4.164.00
3.71 3.68
2.29
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6
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Evalua
tionofDisloyalAct
DistributionofWater
EqualNeed LowIn-groupNeed HighIn-groupNeed
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4.06
4.77 4.915.04 4.94
4.28
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2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
LowIn-groupNeed EqualNeed HighIn-groupNeed
Impo
rtan
ceofH
elping
HelpingIn-group HelpingOut-group*** **
Abrams,D.,Rutland,A.,Ferrell,J.M.,&Pelletier,J.(2008).Children'sjudgmentsofdisloyalandimmoralpeerbehavior:Subjectivegroupdynamicsinminimalintergroupcontexts.ChildDevelopment,79(2),444-461.doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01135.x
Sierksma,J.,Thijs,J.,&Verkuyten,M.(2014).Children’sintergrouphelping:Theroleofempathyandpeergroupnorms.JournalOfExperimentalChildPsychology,126369-383.doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2014.06.002
