Lessons for the Next Pandemic: What Children Taught Us About Navigating New Social Norms During COVID-19

Current Directions in Psychological Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 19, 2025

Research on children’s responses to preventive health behaviors during COVID-19 provides insights of both practical and theoretical importance: Understanding how children reason about is crucial for developing effective public-health campaigns. Moreover, the pandemic presented us with a unique natural experiment examining emerging sociomoral reasoning in face rapidly changing norms social practices. Here we summarize empirical findings from series experiments testing such as mask-wearing physical distancing that were introduced COVID-19. Across these studies, found apply principles interpret novel behaviors. By young age 5 years, are well equipped adapt practices by thinking through trade-offs consequences new surprisingly mature way. At same time, political views families communities reflected endorsement We conclude suggestions way developmental research can contribute our knowledge successfully prepare anticipation potential future pandemics.

Language: Английский

Children’s understanding of the causal mechanisms underlying disease prevention

Cognitive Development, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 74, P. 101563 - 101563

Published: Feb. 27, 2025

Language: Английский