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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Donna Lu

REVEALED: Children will show compassion unless it costs them research finds | Rare Historical Photos

Children share toys at daycare
‘For young children, personal cost appears to be a greater inhibitor to compassionate responding than who compassion is directed toward,’ the study found. Photograph: FatCamera/Getty Images

Young children are willing to help others in distress unless it comes at a personal cost, new research into the ability of children to show compassion suggests.

A study analysing the behaviour of 285 four- and five-year-olds has found that children responded less compassionately to others when a personal reward was at stake.

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