Ronald E. McNair Program


Kristen Danielle Hines
Name: Kristen Danielle Hines
School: Tougaloo College
Major: Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Boerger
Expected Graduation Date: May 2008 

Organizations & Honors: 
•1st Place Winner of Tougaloo College CARP Black History Month Family Tree Project
• Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society 
• Vice Presidential Scholar (Fall and Spring Semesters of 2005) 
• Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges Honoree 
E-MAIL: kristinadh2003@yahoo.com 
 

 

ABSTRACT

Does Understanding Emotion Help Children Understand When Others are Responsible for the Outcomes of their Actions?


This study sought to determine the relationship between children’s understanding of emotion and their attributions of responsibility for foreseeable outcomes. Sixty-one children, aged 7, 10, and 13 years, participated. Participants heard stories about children whose actions led to unintended outcomes. Half the stories involved foreseeable and half involved unforeseeable outcomes. Participants used a 1- 5 rating scale to indicate how much they thought each child was at fault for the outcome and how much they felt sorry for the child. Participants also completed tasks assessing their understanding of outcome-based, attribution-based, and self-conscious emotions. Results showed that children’s understanding of foreseeability increased with age and attributions of responsibility were inversely related to expressions of sympathy. However, there was no significant relationship between children’s understanding of emotion and their understanding of foreseeability as a factor in responsibility.