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Good Children Do Not Always Do Good Behavior: Moral Licensing Effects in Preschoolers1, 2, 3.

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Title: Good Children Do Not Always Do Good Behavior: Moral Licensing Effects in Preschoolers1, 2, 3.
Authors: Furukawa, Yoshiya (AUTHOR), Fuji, Shohei (AUTHOR), Sugimura, Shinichiro (AUTHOR)
Source: Japanese Psychological Research. Jul2025, Vol. 67 Issue 3, p337-345. 9p.
Subjects: Prosocial behavior, Child behavior, Resource allocation, Adults, Preschool children, Stickers
Abstract: Previous research reveals that past moral behavior can promote future moral behavior, or sometimes discourage people's engagement in moral behavior. This is known as the moral licensing effect. Although most previous research on moral licensing has focused on adults, a few studies have also investigated children. The present study investigated moral licensing effects in preschool children. Participants were 47 Japanese preschool children between the ages of 43 and 77 months. We manipulated licensing by inducing participants to experience prosocial behavior. More specifically, we provided participants in the license condition an opportunity to share their resources with another. Then, all participants allocated five stickers to themselves and others in a resource allocation task. The results showed that the children in the license condition were less likely to engage in prosocial behavior than those in the control condition. This is the first study showing that moral licensing effects also occur in children, suggesting that like adults, applying morality for preschool children is flexible with regards to situations and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Japanese Psychological Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Good Children Do Not Always Do Good Behavior: Moral Licensing Effects in Preschoolers<superscript>1, 2, 3</superscript>.
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Furukawa%2C+Yoshiya%22">Furukawa, Yoshiya</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fuji%2C+Shohei%22">Fuji, Shohei</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sugimura%2C+Shinichiro%22">Sugimura, Shinichiro</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Japanese+Psychological+Research%22">Japanese Psychological Research</searchLink>. Jul2025, Vol. 67 Issue 3, p337-345. 9p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prosocial+behavior%22">Prosocial behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+behavior%22">Child behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resource+allocation%22">Resource allocation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adults%22">Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+children%22">Preschool children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stickers%22">Stickers</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Previous research reveals that past moral behavior can promote future moral behavior, or sometimes discourage people's engagement in moral behavior. This is known as the moral licensing effect. Although most previous research on moral licensing has focused on adults, a few studies have also investigated children. The present study investigated moral licensing effects in preschool children. Participants were 47 Japanese preschool children between the ages of 43 and 77 months. We manipulated licensing by inducing participants to experience prosocial behavior. More specifically, we provided participants in the license condition an opportunity to share their resources with another. Then, all participants allocated five stickers to themselves and others in a resource allocation task. The results showed that the children in the license condition were less likely to engage in prosocial behavior than those in the control condition. This is the first study showing that moral licensing effects also occur in children, suggesting that like adults, applying morality for preschool children is flexible with regards to situations and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Japanese Psychological Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/jpr.12447
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 9
        StartPage: 337
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Prosocial behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resource allocation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adults
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preschool children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Stickers
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Good Children Do Not Always Do Good Behavior: Moral Licensing Effects in Preschoolers1, 2, 3.
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            NameFull: Furukawa, Yoshiya
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            NameFull: Fuji, Shohei
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            NameFull: Sugimura, Shinichiro
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            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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