Summary: Simply reminding children of the multiple roles they play in life, from a friend to sibling, can help improve flexible thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Source: Duke
A typical child plays many roles, such as friend, neighbor, son or daughter. Simply reminding children of that fact can lead to better problem-solving and more flexible thinking finds new research from Duke University.
“This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their multi-faceted selves,” said lead author Sarah Gaither, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke. “Such reminders boost their problem-solving skills and how flexibly they see their social worlds – all from a simple mindset switch.”
Better problem-solving was just one positive finding of the study, Gaither said. After considering their own various identities, children also showed more flexible thinking about race and other social groupings — a behavior that could be valuable in an increasingly diverse society.
The research appears July 2 in the journal Developmental Science.
In a series of experiments, Gaither and her colleagues looked at 196 children, ages 6 and 7. All were native English speakers.
In one experiment, the first group of children was reminded they have various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper. A second group of children was reminded of their multiple physical attributes (such as a mouth, arms, and legs).
In another experiment, one group of children was again reminded they have various identities. The second set of children received similar prompts — but about other children’s many roles, not their own.
All the children then tackled a series of tasks. Children who were reminded of their various identities demonstrated stronger problem-solving and creative thinking skills. For instance, when shown pictures of a bear gazing at a honey-filled beehive high up in a tree, these children had more creative ideas for how the bear might get the honey, such as flipping over a bowl so that it becomes a stool. In other words, they saw a new use for the bowl.
Children who were reminded of their multiple roles also showed more flexible thinking about social groupings. When asked to categorize different photos of faces, they suggested many ways to do so. For instance, they identified smiling faces vs. unsmiling ones, and old vs. young faces. The other children, meanwhile, primarily grouped people’s faces by race and gender.
Because the results suggest simple ways to promote flexible, inclusive thinking for the young, they could be especially valuable for teachers, Gaither said.
“We have this tendency in our society to only think about ourselves in connection with one important group at a time,” Gaither said. “When we remind kids that they have various identities, they think beyond our society’s default categories, and remember that there are many other groups in addition to race and gender.
“It opens their horizons to be a little more inclusive.”
Funding: The research was supported by a University of Chicago Provost’s Postdoctoral Scholarship, by NICHD R01HD070890 and by the Chicago Center for Practical Wisdom.
Source:
Duke
Media Contacts:
Alison Jones – Duke
Image Source:
The image is adapted from the Duke news release.
Original Research: Closed access
“Thinking about multiple identities boosts children’s flexible thinking”. Sarah E. Gaither, Samantha P. Fan, Katherine D. Kinzler.
Developmental Science. doi:10.1111/desc.12871
Abstract
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Studies of children’s developing social identification often focus on individual forms of identity. Yet, everyone has multiple potential identities. Here we investigated whether making children aware of their multifaceted identities—effectively seeing themselves from multiple angles—would promote their flexible thinking. In Experiment 1, 6‐ to 7‐year‐old children (N = 48) were assigned to either a Multiple‐Identities condition where they were led to consider their multiple identities (e.g. friend, neighbor) or to a Physical‐Traits condition where they considered their multiple physical attributes (e.g. legs, arms). Children in the Multiple‐Identity condition subsequently expressed greater flexibility at problem‐solving and categorization than children in the Physical‐Traits condition. Experiment 2 (N = 72) replicated these findings with a new sample of 6‐ to 7‐year‐old children and demonstrated that a Multiple‐Identity mindset must be self‐relevant. Children who were led to think about another child’s multiple identities did not express as much subsequent creative thinking as did children who thought about their own multiple identities. Experiment 3 (N = 76) showed that a Mmultiple‐Identity framework may be particularly effective when the identities are presented via generic language suggesting that they are enduring traits (in this case, identities depicted as noun phrases rather than verbal phrases). These findings illustrate that something as simple as thinking about one’s identity from multiple angles could serve as a tool to help reduce rigid thinking, which might increase open‐mindedness in a society that is becoming increasingly diverse.
