Action perception and outcome valence: Effects on children's inferences ofintentionality and moral and liking judgments

The influences of different action-outcome scenarios on children's evaluati ve judgments and inferences of outcome intentionality were assessed. One hu ndred forty-five kindergartners, 2nd graders, and 4th graders heard 4 stori es about child actors who engaged in 1 action or 3 equifinal actions and ca used a positive or negative outcome. The stories made no mention of the act ors' anticipated outcome so that we could assess the children's inferences of whether the actors wanted and had tried to cause the outcome. Children a lso rated their liking for the actors and the actors' morality. Children's moral and liking judgments were not significantly differentiated by action condition. However, actors who caused positive outcomes received favorable liking and moral judgments, and actors who caused negative outcomes receive d neutral liking and moral judgments. Children's intentionality inferences varied by the actors' actions and were moderated by outcome valence. The au thors discuss children's apparent use of the valence rule when inferring in tentionality and their reluctance to judge harshly actors who cause negativ e outcomes when not privy to the actors' intentions.