Are little kids hopelessly selfish? Many people assume so. But scientific research suggests otherwise. Like adults, children experience the warm glow of giving. And it’s a motivating force for good. How early in life do children feel this warm glow, and what can we do to nurture it — and encourage kids to share?
Peer pressure and social conformity starts long before adolescence. When faced with a choice between telling the truth and backing a popular falsehood, even 4-year-old children will buckle. Yet kids also possess the ability to question — and even reject — majority opinion. What can we do to encourage children to think for themselves? Image … Continue reading
What happens when adults lie to children? Kids tend to become more dishonest, and they might be at higher risk for aggressive and antisocial behavior problems.
Research suggests that babies can tell when parents are fighting, and chronic conflict may affect the brain. What can we do about it?
Researchers use the Strange Situation procedure to measure attachment in young children. How does it work, and how can we raise secure kids?
Emotion coaching is the practice of tuning into children’s feelings, and helping kids learn to cope with negative emotions like fear, anger, and sadness.
Can we nurture empathy in children? Yes. Evidence-based tips for teaching empathy, based on the latest discoveries.
Does playing helpful, even heroic characters make kids more prosocial? Research on the effects of video games suggests that it might.
Studies suggest that kids have fewer emotional problems – and behave more prosocially – when they feel connected with nature.
Most kids are ready to be cooperative. But they recognize limits to our power. When we overreach, kids reject our authority as illegitimate.
Inductive discipline is linked with better child outcomes. What does it look like, and how do we know that it makes a difference?
No need to point fingers, because we’ve all done it: Ignoring people around us while we focus on a technological device. When we ignore or snub folks with our smartphones, it’s called “phubbing,” and since many of us carry our smartphones everywhere, phubbing has become very common. But — no surprise! — phubbing can erode … Continue reading