Developmental Psychology This is how children learn to share

Whether a child likes to share depends on its ability to anticipate the feelings of others
Why do we share? This question was answered by the developmental psychologists Prof. Markus Paulus from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and Prof. Chris Moore from the Dalhousie University in Halifax. The willingness to share with others allows the researchers to exemplify the origins and evolution of prosocial behavior in children. In one study, they found that the willingness of preschool children to share depends essentially on how well they can anticipate the feelings of their fellow human beings. The study results were published in the journal Social Development.

Children have to learn to share
The two developmental psychologists have kindergarteners aged three to six, assess how another child or themselves, depending on whether you share with them or not. It turned out that their understanding of how it feels to go out is not just different. Depending on how pronounced it is, they behave more or less generously. "The better the children could predict that one feels bad, if not shared with one, the more they were willing in a later situation to give something to others", summarizes Markus Paulus the result.

That's how children share. (Image: Shmel / fotolia)

The study involved 82 children between the ages of three and six, divided into several groups. Children of one group were asked individually by a facilitator to think about how they would feel, depending on whether they shared with them or not. A second group should think about how another person would be in this situation. Then the children could distribute stickers between themselves and a (not present) third party. Their behavior was compared to a third group of children who should not prejudge such thoughts.

Ability to anticipate the other's feelings determines the willingness to share
"Being aware of the consequences that sharing has for the emotions influences behavior," says Paul. "Those children who have thought about how sharing affects feelings have been more generous." In doing so, the children are motivated by the potential disappointment of going out, of giving more than the pleasure they can give others. "One possible explanation for this could be the so-called" negativity bias ", according to which we are more influenced by negative emotions than by positive ones," says Paulus.

As early as three years, children had the ability to anticipate someone else's feelings. How strongly this ability was pronounced differed individually in all age groups. "Children in their first two to three years learn a lot about emotions. Studies by colleagues, for example, show that children whose parents often talk to them about feelings can better anticipate emotions in others, "says Paul. His study now shows how children's willingness to share with others can be encouraged. "It helps to show them the negative feelings that someone else has when they go out," Paul says.

Parents can practice sharing with their children
Little kids are just about to discover their "I". Therefore, they are usually overwhelmed with the "you". Nevertheless, parents should practice sharing with their children early. Even if the little ones do not yet understand why they are being held by their parents to behave in a certain way, they can already understand that behaviors such as taking the playmate away from the car are not welcome. Teaching the child to ask first, before picking up the toy and accepting a "no" is a matter of practice. (Ag)