Behavioral and cognitive correlates of various immanent justice responses in children: Deterrent versus punitive moral systems

Two studies examined behavioral and cognitive correlates of immanent justice responses in children. In Study 1, with 46 10-12 yr old Israeli children, those who had offered psychologically mediated causal (PMC) explanations for why adversities followed transgressions cheated more than children who gave either immanent causality (IC) or chance contiguity (CC) explanations. In Study 2, with 57 Ss, those who used PMC explanations anticipated others to experience guilt and to confess after transgressing, whereas those who gave IC and CC explanations did not anticipate such guilt reactions or confessions to occur. The 3 groups did not differ in their expectations that others would transgress. Data are discussed in light of the Piagetian, the Freudian, and the attributional views of immanent justice explanations. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).