Emory Infant and Child Meet the Lab: Development Research Laboratory Philippe Rochat

Newsletter Philippe Rochat was born and raised in Geneva, Spring 2013 Switzerland. He was trained by understand prejudice and minority and his close , Bentley Gibson is now testing the collaborators, and implicit and explicit social attitudes of African received his Ph.D. from Letter to Parents: American adults and children toward other the University of Geneva, and own racial groups. This is something that Switzerland in 1984. He is not well documented and should yield Article by: Philippe Rochat Ph.D. then began a series of Head of the Emory Infant and Child Lab important information. We will be able to report new findings in the next Newsletter. Post Doctoral internships Our mission at the Infant and Child Lab is Supervised and spearheaded by Theresa at Brown University, the to contribute to the understanding of how Moehrle (Lab coordinator), we also finished University of children develop. Ultimately, all research investigating the propensity of 3-7 year-old Pennsylvania, and Johns conducted at the Lab is geared toward a children from various ethnic origins to engage better approximation of what seems to drive in so-called “stigma by association” based on Hopkins. The main focus our psychology, one that begins to prior to skin color. For example, does a child prefer a of his research is the birth and continues to develop all through black doll that is depicted as being friends early sense of self, the lifespan. with a white doll rather than a black doll? emerging self-concept, The past year has been particularly The data we analyzed yielded little evidence the development of fruitful. Let me briefly summarize some of of such phenomenon in 5-7 year-olds, our research accomplishments: something that we did not expect and that social cognition and First of all, we are welcoming a new needed to be demonstrated. relatedness, and the Graduate student to our Lab, Shensheng In collaboration with Katherine (Kit) Jayne emergence of a moral Wang who comes to us straight from (who finished and defended her Master’s sense during the Mainland China. Shensheng is starting to degree, and is now on her way toward a Ph.D, preschool years in work on the perception of artificial vs. real bravo!), we also completed research on face. He is exploring why perception of spontaneous generosity and equity in children from all over the artificial faces sometimes feels uncanny or children and their parents. We looked at world. His research uncomfortable as compared to real faces. We inter-individual differences and how parental emphasizes differences in are excited about this new line of research propensities to give and to share might be populations growing up and are very happy to have him with us. We predictive of how their 5-7 year-olds are more in highly contrasted will keep you posted on his progress in future or less inclined to share, as well as how cultural environments, as newsletters. robust their sharing propensities might be In collaboration with Bentley Gibson (Ph.D. over time. Although we observed marked well as highly contrasted candidate) and Erin Robbins (fresh Ph.D., differences in sharing propensities among socio-economic bravo!), we completed our research on racial children, we found that these differences circumstances. identification and preference by 3-7 year-olds cannot be readily predicted by how their from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds parents either view their child or express an (African and Euro American, Polynesian, inclination to be generous. We conclude that Melanesian and children of Indian descent), children’s varying degree of spontaneous showing that there is an early white sharing with peers cannot simply be related preference bias that cuts across social classes to the inclination and potential modeling of and cultures. This research shows that racial their parents. and ethnic prejudice has deep and enduring Finally, in completing her Ph.D. developmental roots. It shows us how dissertation looking at the developmental children are sensitive to and influenced by origins of inequity aversion (early negativity their perceptions and responses to group toward unequal distribution), Erin Robbins differences. In another effort to better (Continued on page 2) 1

Meet the Lab:

Continued from page 1 Bentley “Ginger” abundance play in shaping children’s social tested numerous children in various and . We are Gibson economic and sharing games currently analyzing the data and will be able demonstrating that from at least 5 years to let you know what we found in the next Bentley (Ginger) Gibson of age, and possibly younger, children’s year’s newsletter. has spent the past five economic decisions and relative economic As always, more research is on the way, years studying the and for this we need all the help we can get risk taking is greatly determined by development of minority from parents like you who are so generously competition and the fear of losing relative children’s racial to what others might gain, as erroneous willing to bring your children to play with us. Once again, we thank you for your support as this fear might be. A few weeks ago, we preferences and racial and look forward to future collaborations. had the opportunity to collect more data identity. She received We certainly depend on and need you in on sharing and economic decisions among her Master’s replicating our shared passion for the study of infant young children on a remote coffee and child psychology, here and all over the the original Clark and plantation in Chiapas (Mexico), comparing world, across all economic, ethnic and Clark (1947) doll study young Guatemalan and Mexican cultural backgrounds! Do not hesitate to on modern-day African populations of strikingly different socio- contact us for more updates and American preschoolers. economic backgrounds. Our goals, as information. We are always eager to share always, in our cross-cultural forays, is to our research progress. Her research goal is to assess the role culture and relative material continue to examine how people become racialized. Some of the Racial Preferences in Children and Adults questions that drive her research are: Article by “Ginger” Gibson individuals identify with their own racial group, the impact of racial socialization What role does our This year, Bentley began collecting data (parental racial attitudes/ behaviors), race racial identities and for her dissertation which is further examining composition of school and socio-economic stereotypes play on the the development of implicit racial attitudes in status. So far, results show that racial way we think and our AfricanMeet theAmericans Lab -from Tanya age 6 Broeschto 22 (college composition of school is not the driving factor of the development of African behaviors? When do aged). Currently, 175 participants have been Americans racial attitudes. The main children develop racial tested. The majority of studies that have contributing factors are the specific types of attitudes and racial examined implicit racial attitudes/biases have messages parents send their children about identities? What racial tested people of European descent. African American history and culture and stereotypes stand-out to What are implicit racial attitudes? They how strongly they identify with their racial are our unconscious attitudes about race and children and do these in-group. Please stay tuned for final results. propensity to associate certain words with stereotypes change over To participate in a national IAT campaign groups of people. The measure Bentley is time or remain the visit: using is called the Implicit Association Test. same? Bentley’s goal is to balance the literature by https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ providing research conducted on children and adults of color. Her dissertation is one of the largest developmental studies of African American’s implicit racial attitudes. Of particular interest, is what predicts African American tendency to have positive attitudes about their racial in-group. Several potential contributing factors are being examined: How

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Meet the Lab: What Does it Mean to be Fair? Erin Robbins

young children (3 years old) are more likely Article by Erin Robbins Erin Robbins earned to punish wrong-doers, but by 7 years children start to reward those who have her Ph.D. from

acted with good will toward others. In Emory University in some cases, older children will even December. She has sacrifice some of their own resources to been a fellow of the make sure this unfairness is corrected, in National Science what we call acts of strong reciprocity or costly punishment. How do children experience fairness? Foundation This is the driving question behind the In addition to developmental Graduate Teaching differences, there is also cultural variation several years of research that culminated in GK-12 initiative and regarding what acts are perceived as fair or the dissertation I defended in December. unfair. For example, although individuals in was awarded the Several factors influence how children develop a sense of fairness, including most cultures agree that monopolizing Howard Hughes resources is unfair, not everyone agrees on inequity aversion (the unease people feel Medical Institute the best way to fix this injustice. Over the when things are not shared equally) and loss Teaching Award. aversion (the sense that losing something last two years we have been very fortunate to work with children and adults living in Her research centers hurts much worse than gaining something very different cultural contexts—primarily feels good). In general, our findings suggest on the emergence of that children who share equitably tend to be small, traditional, subsistence-style villages social cognition in in the South Pacific (Samoa and Vanuatu). less competitive and less risk-taking than Thanks to the efforts of two former infants and children, their peers when it comes to gambling tasks and games of skill. However, the personal research assistants (Yoana Villareal and with a specific Marianna Ruiz) we were also able to work experience of gaining and losing valuable interest in the role with Mexican and migrant (Guatemalan) resources also influences whether children that culture plays in share fairly. In another study children adults and children living on a coffee plantation in Custapec, Mexico, as well as shaping participated in a guessing game where they adults and children living in a traditional had to estimate how much valuable “magical development. sand” had been added to or removed from Bribri village in Costa Rica. On average, children and adults in the an opaque tube. We found that fair-minded children tend to overemphasize how much US tend to restore justice by punishing an they have lost while also underestimating unfair sharing partner. This is not how much they have gained. Together, necessarily the case in other cultures where these patterns of inequity aversion and loss participants live in villages that tend to be aversion tend to become stronger over more traditional and collectivistic (like development, particularly between 3-7 Vanuatu, and to a lesser extent Mexico and years. Costa Rica). Here, adults and children tend But other questions remain. Once to restore justice by rewarding or children identify that something is unfair, compensating someone who has been how do they decide what is the best way to victimized by unfair sharing. These data are fix it? One possibility is to punish someone exciting to us because they suggest that who has been unfair or selfish another although a sense of fairness may be possibility is to reward someone who has universal, the means for creating and maintaining fairness may be culturally- been generous. Our research suggests that specific. 3

Meet the Lab:

Mere Proximity Effect Theresa Moehrle Article by: Theresa Moehrle and Erin Robbins Theresa Moehrle is the

Cues regarding group membership and Lab Coordinator at the affiliation inform social evaluations. At 5 Infant and Child Lab. She years kinship and close affiliation are shown received her Master’s In to influence children’s sharing (Olson & Experimental Psychology Spelke, 2008), and proximity may also be an from the University of important evaluative cue: 5-10 year olds Texas at Arlington in associate traits and judgments about an 2009 and joined the lab Figure 1: Condition 4 individual with persons that have been seen shortly after. in close physical contact with them (e.g., people seen with obese friends are rated as dolls (Condition 3); and a white doll paired Theresa is mainly less desirable than those seen with non- with two identical black dolls (Condition 4). involved in the daily obese friend; Penny & Haddock, 2007). In general, we found that 5 year old running of the lab, the Here in the lab we wanted to investigate children rated condition 4 (white with two- scheduling of the influence of race and proximity cues in black dolls) significantly higher than the appointments, and children’s social evaluations. Based on control and condition 4 (black with two-white overseeing the existing literature on race discrimination in dolls) significantly lower than the control. In administrative duties. She children (Aboud, 2003), we hypothesized other words, when a white doll was paired is also in charge of that by 7 years, children might show an with two black dolls the white doll received a making sure all studies effect of mere proximity to same- or higher rating than a white doll paired with two meet the requirements of different-race individuals in their social other white dolls. In contrast, when the black Emory’s IRB. evaluations. In other words, when a person doll was matched with two white dolls it is merely seen with someone of a received a much lower rating than the black Her research interests stigmatized group, does that stigma “rub doll paired with two other black dolls. includes “Stigma by off” on the other person, no matter what the However, we did not see any significant trend Association,” relationship is between the two people? with the 7 year old children. In other words, discrimination and group We tested 24 5-7-year old Euro- who the person was with did not affect the processes. American children. In each of four ratings. There was also no significant She currently teaches conditions, children viewed photographs of difference based on the race of the dolls which Intro to Psychology and three dolls (gender-matched to the was surprising. Human Development at participant) arranged side by side with no Children always have the ability to Georgia Highlands. She relationship given (See Figure 1). Children surprise us. We discover more and different also works with adults rated the middle doll on six dimensions things about them every day. In this case, we and youth though the including 1) attractiveness, 2) intelligence, did not discover what we had planned to find. Cobb Literacy Council 3) niceness, 4) wealth, 5) popularity, and 6) However, we did discover that 5 year olds are helping them obtain their the extent that they would want to be friends more likely to be affected by a contrast effect GED. with this doll. Children rated the doll on than by a proximity effect. Contrast effect each dimension using a “liking line”, with happens when two items are lined up side by lower numbers indicating less liking (or side; the differences between them become lower ratings) and higher numbers more obvious. This has led me to question the indicating more liking (or higher ratings). In differences between how children process various orders, children evaluated a white what we think of as a “controllable” stigma doll paired with two identical white dolls like obesity vs. an “uncontrollable” stigma (Condition 1); a white doll paired with two such as race. Over the next year, I hope to dive identical black dolls (Condition 2); a black more into research that might help me answer doll paired with two identical white this question.

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Meet the Lab: The “Uncanny Valley” and Why Tom Hanks Creeps Me out ShenSheng

Article by: ShenSheng Wang with an Wang introduction by Theresa Moehrle In 1970, Masahiro Mori, a Japanese Shensheng grew up roboticist proposed the hypothesis, that in Tianjin, China, A few years ago, a wonderful the more human a robot looks, the more where he earned a BS movie called the Polar Express was familiar it is, the more uneasy human in Psychology from observers felt. A variety of theories released to theaters. My kids were so Nankai University about mechanism of the uncanny valley excited. I let them wear their warm before moving to pajamas to the theater and we sat are blooming in Psychology. Particularly, some researchers have Atlanta to join the down anticipating cinema magic. The Emory Infant and graphics were so real and quite intense. proposed that the appearance of Child Lab. One of the fun games we like to play is android robots generates a violation of expectation, which elicits uneasiness in to figure out who the famous voices adults. Other researchers are interested He has a broad belong to. However, when the train in determining whether one’s reactions interest in face conductor walked down the aisle I knew to androids is hardwired in the brain or processing, social without a doubt it was Tom Hanks. I developed through exposure to human cognition and cross- literally felt a little dizzy and sick. WHY? faces. However, current findings on the cultural studies. For Why was such a beloved man making uncanny valley have not reached any the past semester, he me literally nauseated? I have seen consensus. This problem is partly due navigated through dozens of animated movies, what to researchers’ limited knowledge several topics, makes this one different? That weird about the emotional response-of including infant feeling we get when we see a real uneasiness or “creepiness”. Although habituation and person so realistically animated to the previous studies have provided familiarization, face valuable insight into the emotional point that they look almost human is space theory, responses, they neither explained what called the “uncanny valley”. It’s a dynamic information phenomenon says that the more eeriness is nor provided an objective measurement of this emotional in face recognition, realistic a rendering of someone looks and finally (i.e., animation, wax figures, and response. What I am working on is to objectively explore the emotional determined to study androids) it causes us to have a strange responses in the uncanny valley the uncanny valley. feeling. Although, the lab is normally phenomenon to enrich our concentrated on children’s understanding of the uncanny valley. I With the present development, we are also curious about am interested in determining what the study on the nature of this phenomenon in adults. Just today emotional response of eeriness or the uncanny valley, NPR released an article about how the “creepiness” is in adults. Shensheng is most new animation in videos games is The exploration of the emotional interested in the breaking the Uncanny Valley. Maybe responses in the uncanny valley is emotional responses we can help explain why animated valuable because it will help illustrate in the uncanny valley movies are “creeping” parents out. the nature of uncanny valley, lead phenomenon, future researches to objectively particularly whether measure the uncanny valley, map the so-called “eerie” human likeness and other properties of android robots to a reliable index of feeling is disgust or people’s emotional responses in the fear in origin. uncanny valley, and finally detect certain types of imperfection in androids to guide robot designers to avoid the uncanny valley and optimize human-robot interaction.

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Meet the Lab: Development of Sharing Behaviors in Children Kit Jayne Article by: Kit Jayne Kit Jayne started as Our lab, among others, has done much an honorary lab work to help explore the origins of assistant in 2010 children’s understanding of fairness. For after she graduated example, some of our work has from Rutgers demonstrated that children from many University with a diverse cultures all demonstrate a similar shift from self-hoarding and self- degree in German maximization at age three to a greater giving us a way to measure and compare Studies and tendency toward fairness and equity at age how consistent children are in their Psychology. At the seven. Similar findings also showed a shift sharing behavior over a short span of time. end of 2012 she between the ages of three and seven, with received her more seven year-olds preferring equitable In addition to information about or fair outcomes. differences in the consistency and equity Master’s Degree and While these findings probably won’t of children’s sharing behavior, we also is now working on surprise many parents, they do present us collected data from parents regarding her PhD. with some interesting questions. For their own behaviors and their children’s example, if children are generally fairer at temperaments. Parents who were kind Since starting at the seven and more selfish at three, why are enough to fill out these questionnaires lab, she's worked on some three years-olds perfectly fair, and provided us with valuable information we compared with their children’s behavior. several projects, all some seven year-olds self-maximizing? of which examine Further, would the children tested on these Parental reports on children’s behavior different fairness tasks behave similarly also gave us the opportunity to look at factors that across different tasks or at different points different behavioral styles as possible contribute to in time? The project this article focuses on factors shaping different sharing styles. children's developing was based on these questions. On the one Taken together, all these measures understandings of gave us several paths down which we hand, I was interested in finding out if any fairness and other factors were related to differences in approached the question of what might generosity. Now children’s fairness behavior. On the other be related to individual differences. For hand, I was also interested in seeing how my master’s thesis, I analyzed all these working on her own stable children were in this behavior. data and found that, contrary to our study, she's excited Our first step in addressing these hypotheses, no relationships between to see how different questions took place last Spring. We child temperament and behavior. Further, we found no relationships measures and collected data on the behavior of both five perspectives can and seven year-old children, asking parents between parental factors and child to bring their children to our lab at the behavior. We did find that seven year- inform basic Child Studies Center for an initial olds were more consistent in their questions about how appointment as well as a follow-up behavior between the first and the some children appointment a month later. At the lab, second appointment, while children in become more fair- general did not seem to behave similarly children played two different, previously- minded than used, fairness games. Each game involved on both games. These surprising and the child deciding how to distribute a set of provocative findings have spurred further others. coins between themselves and a researcher interest in these subjects. Additional or two dolls, or choosing between sets of analyses will take place this spring, and coins that had already been distributed. will hopefully point us toward another These games allowed us to establish each way of exploring this interesting topic! child’s relative preference for fairness. Thanks to all the parents who supported During follow-up appointments, children this research, and all the children who played the same series of games, thus were patient enough to participate in my games! 6

We couldn’t do Together researchers in the social this without you: Fairness Conference sciences came together to discuss the

Sponsored by the Provost Office, concept of fairness from an evolutionary, You are receiving this CMBC, The Emory Cognition Project, developmental, economics, ethics, newsletter because you and The Emory Center of Ethics, we political, anthropological, and and your child have hosted a two-day conference on the philosophical point of view. Some of the participated in one of our concept of fairness. The goal for the speakers included: President Jimmy studies or have Fairness Conference was to create an Carter, Jerome Bruner, Nicolas Baumard, expressed interest in exciting intellectual event, with talks Gustavo Faigenbaum, Elizabeth Spelke, from prominent scholars from Karen Wynn, Samar Zebian, and a taking part in one. We various disciplines to reflect and number of notable Emory Faculty. To invite you to involve discuss the concept of fairness. Some view some of the talks go to: yourself in our current of the questions we asked were: How http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P studies. If your child is do you describe fairness and how can LDSBylqXf9oHfj6x5qdi5ydL1fKxnEkxq under the age of 10, and it be accounted for? What might you would like to be constitute and determine what individual’s sense as fair or unfair? contacted about our studies, please call or Are they universal and unequivocal ways of understanding and email us at: construing fairness? How might it originate in both evolution and (404) 727-6199 or development, what might be the [email protected] constitutive elements and determinants of fairness in the Your visit will take less individual, the group, or the law? than a half an hour, and your child will be given a small token of

Student Research Assistants appreciation at the end.

Top Row: Scott Danielson (Senior) is from SC. He is a Thank you again; we Lindsay Beers (Senior) is from FL. Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Major cannot do it without and Philosophy Minor. He has worked on the She is a Psychology Major. She is you!!!!!!!!!!!!! working on Mere Proximity and the Pirate Game. Pirate Study. We are located on the Yaying Wang (Junior) is from TN. She is a Emory Campus, near Psychology Major. She has worked on the Joy Mitchell (Senior) is from NY. Druid Hills, Decatur, Sharing Study. She is a Psychology/Education Candler Park and other nearby Atlanta Major. She has worked on KitShare Not Pictured: Neighborhoods. and the IAT projects. Claude Robinson (Senior) is from GA. He is a

Psychology Major. He is currently working on 36 Eagle Row, Eun Lee (Junior) is from Korea. She the IAT Study. is a Psychology Major with a Visual Atlanta, GA 30322 Arts minor. She is currently working on the Sharing Study. Free Parking is available. Check our website for Bottom Row: directions: Albert Sol (Sophomore) is from GA. He is a Psychology and Theater www.psychology.emory.e Studies Major. He is currently du/cognition/rochat/lab working on the Uncanny Valley Study.

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