Cultural Variations in Adults’ Perceptions of Children’s Intelligence
by Stephanie A. Estrera
Faculty Advisor: Cristine H. Legare, Graduate Student Mentor: Nicole J. Wen
Conformity and intelligence are conceptually intertwined in cultures that prioritize group harmony. Previous studies suggest that young children learn through imitation and reinforce socially normative behaviors within their in-group. Depending on their cultural norms, children also learn through direct active teaching, a method common in Western cultures, which implies engagement between a mentor and mentee. There is a wealth of anthropological research suggesting that the conformity and intelligence intersect in non-Western countries. However, there is a paucity of experimental research on the effects of cultural values and children’s social learning skills. The current study will analyze the relationship between internalized Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) versus non-WEIRD values and judgements of children’s intelligence in adults from the United States. Participants will watch two videos of children exhibiting conforming or non-conforming behavior, then they will be asked to select which child they think is ‘smart’. I hypothesize that adults who internalize WEIRD values will choose the non-conforming child as smart.