Toddlers don't forget a debt, research reveals

Reading in The Telegraph this morning,  research has revealed that toddlers keep a running tally
of who has done them a favour and know when to ask for something in
return.

Children develop the ability to know who is in their debt and when they are owed "payback"
from the age of three onwards, a study by Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich.

The researchers said that toddlers were more strategic than we might think.
The study recruited 40 three to five-year-olds who played a game in which they decided how many
stickers to share with stuffed toy animals.

In a second round they were asked to share stickers with two toys which had their own sticker
collections of the same size.
Later they were presented with the cuddly animals surrounded with toys like balloons and marbles.
The children were asked which animal they would ask to give them their toys.

The results showed that the children preferred to ask for toys from the animal they had given
more stickers to earlier.

The results were the same for the children at all ages, from three to five.

Lead researcher Markus Paulus said that the children had behaved 'strategically' in making their
decision.
He said: "Even preschoolers seem to be aware of the relative amounts of social capital they
build up in their relations with others, and they make strategic use of this knowledge.

"Reciprocity is a very important element of social life and is essential for the stability of a
society.

"The study shows, for the first time, that young children already demonstrate the expectation
that acts of generosity will be reciprocated by the recipient in their social behaviour."

It's not surprising that children of separated couples learn very quickly how to manipulate the
individual parent/guardian.

Having said that, those of us who are following the compelling story of Rob Tichner in the BBC 
Radio 4 drama "The Archers" will know that poor Henry, (a young 5 year old currently in the
custody of his step father ) is being manipulated with bribes and threats by Mr Tichner.
Hopefully Henry will manage to escape!
I was  amused by the presenter's comment after this weekend's episode - " I can't wait for
Halloween....I'm going as Rob!"
Enough said!
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