According to studies within the fields of Social Psychology and Personality Sciences, first impressions are determined in about 3/10 of a second. In other words, with little empirical information about such person or even hearing them for the first time, we have already concluded a mental picture or idea of who, what, and how they are. However, for children, this analysis is quite different. Children tend to focus more on positive actions or selective information that leads to a positive judgment.

Following research statistics, children between 3-6 years of age only need to see one positive behavior to judge a story as nice, but several negative behaviors to judge a character as mean. A similar concept fits in for children within the ages 6-7, as they are more likely to trust an unfamiliar animal (such as “friendly”) but disregard negative descriptions (like “dangerous”). Altogether, research reveals that children begin to develop positive bias as early as 3 years of age. However, it usually tends to weaken in late childhood. According to psychologists, age promotes harsher realities that reveal children’s social standings when compared to their peers. With this in mind, a struggle may take place since the ideas of optimism and positivity are “ingrained” in the child’s mind. However, this same struggle is what motivates children to try new things fearlessly. Children who approach situations positively are more likely to have positive interactions in school and social settings. The best thing to do for children being raised in today’s society is to simply talk about beliefs that make them think about the evidence that supports them. A balance between a positive yet honest approach is probably the best way for children to develop in today’s society.

 

https://theconversation.com/children-are-natural-optimists-which-comes-with-psychological-pros-and-cons-93532

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