ERIC Number: EJ1336769
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1467-7687
EISSN: N/A
Subtle Alterations of the Physical Environment Can Nudge Young Children to Cheat Less
Zhao, Li; Zheng, Yi; Compton, Brian J.; Qin, Wen; Sun, Wenjin; Fang, Fang; Fu, Genyue; Heyman, Gail D.; Lee, Kang
Developmental Science, v25 n3 e13190 May 2022
Cheating is a common human behavior but few studies have examined its emergence during early childhood. In three preregistered studies, a challenging math test was administered to 5- to 6-year-old children (total N = 500; 255 girls). An answer key was present as children completed the test, but they were instructed to not peek at it. In Study 1, many children cheated, but manipulations that reduced the answer key's accessibility in terms of proximity and visibility led to less cheating. Two follow-up studies showed that the answer key's visibility played a more significant role than its proximity. These findings suggest that subtle and seemingly insignificant alterations of the physical environment can effectively nudge young children away from acting dishonestly.
Descriptors: Cheating, Physical Environment, Behavior Change, Ethics, Mathematics Tests, Mathematics Achievement, Preschool Children, Followup Studies, Educational Change
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
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