Trait Understanding or Evaluative Reasoning? An Analysis of Children's Behavioral Predictions

This study tested the hypothesis that in predicting the future behavior of an actor, older children rely on trait inferences, whereas younger children rely on global, evaluative inferences. Vignettes depicting actors engaging in trait-relevant behaviors were presented to 5- and 6-year-olds (N = 67) and 9- and 10-year-olds (N = 71). For each actor, children made predictions of future behavior, evaluated the goodness and badness of the actor, and rated each actor on a relevant trait. A mediational analysis found that the behavioral predictions of older children were mediated solely by trait ratings, whereas those of younger children were mediated by evaluative ratings. Furthermore, unlike older children, younger children made trait-like predictions only when they made an evaluation of the actor. These results suggest that young children utilize evaluative reasoning when making behavioral predictions, and therefore rely on an inferential process that is distinct from that of older children.