ERIC Number: EJ1202486
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-3920
EISSN: N/A
Young Children from Three Diverse Cultures Spontaneously and Consistently Prepare for Alternative Future Possibilities
Redshaw, Jonathan; Suddendorf, Thomas; Neldner, Karri; Wilks, Matti; Tomaselli, Keyan; Mushin, Ilana; Nielsen, Mark
Child Development, v90 n1 p51-61 Jan-Feb 2019
This study examined future-oriented behavior in children (3-6 years; N = 193) from three diverse societies--one industrialized Western city and two small, geographically isolated communities. Children had the opportunity to prepare for two alternative versions of an immediate future event over six trials. Some 3-year-olds from all cultures demonstrated competence, and a majority of the oldest children from each culture prepared for both future possibilities on every trial. Although there were some cultural differences in the youngest age groups that approached ceiling performance, the overall results indicate that children across these communities become able to prepare for alternative futures during early childhood. This acquisition period is therefore not contingent on Western upbringing, and may instead indicate normal cognitive maturation.
Descriptors: Futures (of Society), Toddlers, Young Children, Cultural Differences, Cross Cultural Studies, Geographic Isolation, Urban Areas, Age Differences, Child Development, Cognitive Development, Behavior Patterns, Child Behavior, Task Analysis, Competence, Cognitive Ability
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A