Beyond behavior: the penitence congruity effect among children

Abstract

The penitence congruity effect observed in adults suggests that people may assess wrongdoers more leniently when they exhibit guilt and deontological beliefs. It means that judgments about one’s morality are influenced not only by their actions but also by their expressed moral emotions and beliefs. To determine whether children also exhibit this effect, we studied N = 250 children aged 10 and 11. We presented them with six vignettes: four depicting morally questionable actions (cheating on an exam, lying about homework, fighting with another student, stealing money found in a school hallway) and two displaying socially undesirable behaviors (attending school in pajamas, being late to school). Children also received information about the wrongdoer’s emotions (presence or absence of guilt) and beliefs (deontological stance or its absence) or were provided with no additional information on emotions or beliefs. Participants were then asked to assess a wrongdoer’s morality for each story. Our findings not only confirm the presence of the penitence congruity effect in children but also demonstrate its applicability to non-conventional behaviors. Specifically, when a wrongdoer expresses guilt and acknowledges wrongdoing, children are more lenient in their evaluations than in the control condition when no insights into the wrongdoer’s emotions or beliefs are provided. The results align with the person-centered theory, which posits that individuals assess overall character rather than isolated actions, considering all available information about the person in question. The findings hold potential applications, e.g., in moral education.