The Influence Of Rewards On Toddlers’ Empathic And Altruistic Helping Tendencies

It’s common to use reward as typical reinforcer to promote the occurrence of the target behavior, while Deci,Lepper et al. found that rewards undermine intrinsic motivation,when no longer provide the external reward, target behavior will be reduced. The impact of rewards on helping behavior tendencies needs further study. Warneken (2008) found that extrinsic rewards undermine altruistic tendencies in20-month-olds, but there is possible that the motivation behind instrumental helping is to complete the adult unfinished action a kind of gestalt motivation rather than helping motivation. Svetlova (2010) found that toddlers’ prosocial behavior develop from instrumental to empathic to altruistic helping,however previous studies neglected the development. Warneken (2008) findings may only apply to infancy instrumental helping rather than more advanced helping, there is need to further study about the influence of rewards on toddlers’ empathic and altruistic helping tendencies.The current study investigated the influence of rewards on toddlers’ Empathic and Altruistic Helping. Seventy-one3and5years-olds could help an adult in3reward conditions: Neutral (no reward), Verba（l praise）a nd Tangible(stickers and erasers).After children received different rewards during the first phase, compare their subsequently helping behavior during the second phase.Also, the study explored influence of different rewards on toddlers’ Empathic (emotion based) and Altruistic Helping (costly).Main findings as follows:(1) Analysis of the differences between groups on empathic helping behavior shows there is no significant difference of three groups’ empathic helping scores at the first phrase,at second phrase tangible reward group’s empathic helping score is significantly higher than the verbal reward group and the no reward group, while the difference between the verbal reward group’s and no-reward group’s score was not significant. The difference of children’s initiative helping scores between three group is no significant at the first and the second phrases.(2) Analysis of the difference between treatment and second phrase on the empathic helping behavior shows that the empathic helping behavior score of tangible reward at the second phrase was significantly higher than the first phrase, but the verbal reward is no such impact on children’s empathic helping behavior score. In tangible reward condition, initiative helping scores in second phrase is significant higher than the first phrase, while verbal reward group and no-reward group the differences between two phrases are not significant. From the results (1)(2), it can be inferred that tangible reward improve children’s empathic helping behavior tendency.(3) Analysis of the differences between groups on altruistic helping behavior shows that at the first and second phrases, the tangible reward group’s altruistic helping behavior score were significantly higher than other groups. And under the conditions of tangible reward, children’s altruistic helping behavior scores at the second phrase was significantly higher than first phrase. However, at treatment and second phrase, the verbal reward group’s altruistic helping behavior score were significantly lower than the tangible reward group. The difference of altruistic helping behavior score in verbal reward and no reward conditions was no significant at the first phrase, but significant at the second phrase. There is no significant different of children’s initiative helping scores at first phrase, while the scores of tangible reward group is significant higher than the other two groups at the second phrase. There is no significant difference of initiative helping scores between verbal reward condition and no-reward condition.(4) Analysis of the difference between treatment and second phrase on the altruistic helping behavior shows the differences of two stage in verbal reward group and no reward condition are not significant. In tangible reward condition, the altruistic helping scores at the second phrase is significant higher than the first phrase. Also, in tangible reward condition, initiative helping scores at second phrase is significantly higher than the first phrase. There were no significant difference of initiative helping scores between the two phrases.From the results (3)(4), it can be deduced that the tangible reward promoted children’s altruistic helping behavior tendency, while verbal reward undermime children’s altruistic helping behavior tendency.(5) Analysis of the changes of helping behavior with age found that there is no significant relation between age and empathic and altruistic helping scores.(6) Analysis of the difference between the empathic and altruistic helping found that empathic helping scores is significant higher than altruistic helping scores. From the results (5)(6), it can be deduced that3-5years old children’s empathic helping is better than altruistic helping.It can be concluded that tangible reward promote children’s empathic and altruistic helping behavior tendencies, while verbal reward undermime children’s altruistic helping behavior tendency.3-5years old children’s empathic helping is better than altruistic helping.The issue of the impact of rewards on children’s empathic and altruistic helping behavior tendencies, the development of children’s helping behavior, and this lack of research and directions for future research were discussed.