A new study finds that 3- to 5-year-olds appear to conflate their future needs with those of the present. Young children who have been fed pretzels and are thirsty are more likely to say they'll need water tomorrow than pretzels. If they haven't eaten pretzels, they'll say they will need pretzels tomorrow.
One of the researchers, Cristina Atance, said the research will help adults understand childrens' needs:
We often see children object when mom asks them to put on their coat in a warm house before going outside into the cold, or when she tells them to bring water to the park when they are not yet hot and thirsty. Although we may think that the child is simply being disobedient, it may be that they don't understand that they might be cold or thirsty later.
The researchers found no difference in the responses of 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds. They plan next to explore when children are accurately able to separate future needs from present needs. I'll submit that my 14-year-old isn't much different.
(via CogNews)
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Your 14-year old is not that different? I'll submit that my 31-year-old self is not that different. Sure I can plan that I'll need water on a long hike even if I have a sloshing bellyfull at the start, but I still buy too much at the grocery store when I'm hungry. I wonder if this is a background feature of human problem solving that persists even when the maturity to override it comes into effect.
"Stumbling on Happiness", by Daniel Gilbert, extensively covers how adults mis-predict the future based upon their current circumstances.