Babies know good from evil – is this morality? - life - 28 October 2013 - New Scientist
lundi 28 octobre 2013 à 16:29 Les Petits Liens Malfaisants, le 28/10/2013 à 16:29
There is a dark side to this evolutionary trail. Babies' moral generosity seems to coexist with a kind of parochialism, as research shows babies favour the familiar early on. At less than 3 days old, for example, babies adjust their sucking rate on a pacifier when listening to a story read by their mother – but not a stranger. They also develop a preference for those nearest: Caucasian babies prefer Caucasian faces, Ethiopian babies Ethiopian faces. Tellingly, in diverse communities babies don't show a race preference.
But as Bloom says, studies in later childhood suggest we aren't born racists. Despite the face-preference research, by the age of 3, race doesn't affect playmate choice. Later, racism may creep in in certain circumstances, possibly as a by-product of our tendency to ally with kin or coalitions.
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There is a dark side to this evolutionary trail. Babies' moral generosity seems to coexist with a kind of parochialism, as research shows babies favour the familiar early on. At less than 3 days old, for example, babies adjust their sucking rate on a pacifier when listening to a story read by their mother – but not a stranger. They also develop a preference for those nearest: Caucasian babies prefer Caucasian faces, Ethiopian babies Ethiopian faces. Tellingly, in diverse communities babies don't show a race preference.
But as Bloom says, studies in later childhood suggest we aren't born racists. Despite the face-preference research, by the age of 3, race doesn't affect playmate choice. Later, racism may creep in in certain circumstances, possibly as a by-product of our tendency to ally with kin or coalitions.
(Permalink)