The circle of life: A cross-cultural comparison of children's attribution of life-cycle traits

被引：9

作者：

Burdett, Emily R. R. ^{[1
]}

Barrett, Justin L. ^{[1
,2
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Oxford, Inst Cognit & Evolutionary Anthropol, Oxford OX1 2JD, England

[2] Fuller Theol Seminary, Sch Psychol, 135 N Oakland Ave, Pasadena, CA 91182 USA

来源：

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | 2016年 / 34卷 / 02期

关键词：

cognitive development; folk biology; cultural learning; cross-cultural comparisons; naive biology; reasoning; anthropomorphism; AFTERLIFE BELIEFS; DEATH; SPECIFICITY; SENSITIVITY; OMNISCIENCE; BIOLOGY; SCIENCE; THINGS;

D O I：

10.1111/bjdp.12131

中图分类号：

B844 [发展心理学（人类心理学）];

学科分类号：

040202 ;

摘要：

Do children attribute mortality and other life-cycle traits to all minded beings? The present study examined whether culture influences young children's ability to conceptualize and differentiate human beings from supernatural beings (such as God) in terms of life-cycle traits. Three-to-5-year-old Israeli and British children were questioned whether their mother, a friend, and God would be subject to various life-cycle processes: Birth, death, ageing, existence/longevity, and parentage. Children did not anthropomorphize but differentiated among human and supernatural beings, attributing life-cycle traits to humans, but not to God. Although 3-year-olds differentiated significantly among agents, 5-year-olds attributed correct life-cycle traits more consistently than younger children. The results also indicated some cross-cultural variation in these attributions. Implications for biological conceptual development are discussed.

引用

页码：276 / 290

页数：15