| Traits are based on certain neuro-physiological basis,and they are person's stable and lasting psychological characteristics.People often use them to summarize,predict and explain behaviors.Spontaneous trait inferences(STIs)are trait inferences that made without intentions or conscious awareness upon exposure to trait-implying behaviors.The trait of reasoning can easily be accepted by individuals,and become the important basis for many interpersonal decisions,because of its unconscious,automatic characteristic.Spontaneous trait inference is a cognitive process,and considerable research has found that both the characteristics of actors and perceivers could influence STIs.For example,studies have indicated perceivers' mood states,cognitive load,and actors' behavior valence could influence STIs.As a common social-psychological phenomenon,gender stereotype has an important effect on people's thought and behaviors.Previous studies have found that actors' gender stereotypes could influence STIs,and comparing to stereotype-inconsistent behaviors,people tend to make more STIs on stereotype-consistent behaviors.Gender schematicity can be defined as differences in the degree to which individuals process information along the gender line.Compared to genderaschematics,gender-schematics are more sensitive to the gender information.Studies suggest a moderating role of gender schematicity on the effect of gender stereotypes on perceivers' STIs from actors' behaviors.Thus,for gender-schematics,STIs were influenced by gender stereotypes.However,there were no effects of genderstereotypes on STIs were found for gender-aschematics.However,previous studies on STIs are aimed at adults.Gender stereotypes appears when people are two years old,and develops quickly in preschool period.But the gender stereotypes of young children is relatively stiff and rigid.Children's awareness of gender began to become more flexible in middle childhood.At puberty,young people's awareness of sexual is gradually awakening and gender stereotypes become rigid again.From a development perspective,whether the gender stereotypes of young children impacts children's STIs or not,and whether the effect varies with age or not.They are important problems remained to be explored in this area.In addition,researchers proposed that the exercise of intentional trait inferences can promote the occurrence of spontaneous trait inference.Through repeated practice on intention trait inference,children can make spontaneous trait inference when about 8 years old.Many researchers explored children's development of spontaneous trait inference.However,there are not studies investigated the development trend of children and adolescents' spontaneous trait inference.Using a recognition probe paradigm,the current study was performed to examine the development of children and adolescent's spontaneous trait inferences,comparing,9-,10-,11-,12,13 and 14-year-olds.We explored the influence of gender stereotypes on children and adolescent's STIs and the moderator effect of gender schematicity.This is important to help us to understand the development of theory of mind of children and adolescents.The findings in the studies were as follows:1 Children could infer traits from traitimplying behaviors spontaneously when they are 9-,10-,11-,12,13 and 14-year-olds.The strength of spontaneous trait inferences peaked at about 10 years old,and decreased steadily from ages 10.2 Gender stereotypes did not impact 9-14 year-olds children and adolescent's STIs.3 For 9-and 13-year-olds children,comparing to gender-aschematics,genderstereotyping impact gender-schematics' STIs.Specifically,gender-schematics tended to make STIs on stereotype-consistency than on stereotype-inconsistency behavior.Gender stereotyping did not impact 10-,11-,12-and 14 year-olds children's STIs.are tried in terms of gender is not sex stereotypes and plays a role in the relationship between spontaneous trait inference. |
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