Linking wrongdoing and consequence: A developmental analysis of children'spunishment orientation

Young children's ability to use open-ended punishment decisions as a way of distinguishing between different types of transgressions (moral, safety-re lated, and social-conventional) was examined. A structured interview based on a series of 6 transgression vignettes was administered to 20 children in each of 3 age groups: 4 to 5 years old, 7 to 8 years old, and 10 to 11 yea rs old. Intensity ratings of the children's punishment decisions suggested that they found moral transgressions to be those least acceptable to violat e, followed by safety-related, and finally social-conventional transgressio ns. Children's open-ended punishment choices also revealed the belief, rega rdless of age, that moral transgressions should be punished more than safet y-related or social-conventional transgressions. In addition, analyses of t he justifications children provided for their punishment choices revealed t hat with increasing age children are more likely to recognize the preventiv e function of punishment and the negative consequences believed to be assoc iated with moral, safety-related, and social-conventional wrongdoings.