Lee (1997)

Question 1

Aims of Lee’s study?

Answer 1

to investigate moral development of children from different socio-economic backgrounds, looking at the effect of culture on children’s moral evaluations of lying and truth telling

Question 2

Lee research method?

Answer 2

lab experiment

Question 3

Lee design?

Answer 3

independent measures

elements of repeated measures

Question 4

Lee IVs?

Answer 4

whether participant heard the social story or the physical story
Whether the participant heard prosocial stories or antisocial stories

Question 5

Lee 4 conditions?

Answer 5

prosocial behaviour / truth-telling stories
prosocial behaviour / lie-telling stories
antisocial behaviour / truth-telling stories
antisocial behaviour / lie-telling stories

Question 6

Lee DVs?

Answer 6

rating for character’s deed
rating for what character said

rating ranged from very, very good - very, very naughty

Question 7

Lee sample?

Answer 7

120 Chinese children:
40 aged 7 (20 male, 20 female)
40 aged 9 (20 male, 20 female)
40 aged 11 (20 male, 20 female)
from elementary schools in Hangzhou

108 Canadian children:
36 aged 7 (20 male, 16 female)
40 aged 9 (24 male, 16 female)
32 aged 11 (14 male, 18 female)
from elementary schools in Fredericton

Question 8

How were participants allocated to the different conditions in Lee’s study?

Answer 8

randomly assigned
Chinese sample - 1/2 social story condition
1/2 physical story condition
Canadian sample - 19 aged 7 + 20 aged 9 + 17 aged 11
social story conditions
others in physical story condition

Question 9

Lee materials?

Answer 9

8 stories

4 scenarios + illustrations - 2 prosocial, 2 antisocial

e.g. prosocial lie-telling story =
part 1 - Alex tidied up classroom for teacher
part 2 - Told teacher “I did not do it”

after each part rate how good or naughty Alex was

7-point rating scale - ranging very, very good (3 red stars) - very, very naughty (3 black crosses)

order effects controlled - 2 orders stories to be read in - orders determined using randomisation table

participants involved in post-experimental discussions

Question 10

Lee key findings - prosocial behaviour / truth-telling situations?

Answer 10

children of both cultures rated behaviours similarly
Chinese children tended to rate truth-telling more negatively as age increased, whereas Canadian children at each age gave similar ratings

Question 11

Lee key findings - prosocial behaviour / lie-telling situations?

Answer 11

culture = significant:
children from the two cultures rated prosocial behaviour differently in two conditions

age = significant:
Canadian children - rated lie-telling less negatively as age
increased
Chinese children - rated lie-telling negatively at younger
age but positively as age increased

Question 12

Lee key findings - antisocial behaviour / truth-telling situations?

Answer 12

both cultures antisocial behaviour rated similarly

both cultures truth-telling rated positively

Question 13

Lee key findings - antisocial behaviour / lie-telling situations?

Answer 13

both cultures rated lie-telling negatively
both cultures negative ratings increased with age
Chinese, aged 7, physical condition - rated lie-telling less
negatively than older
children
Canadian, aged 7, social condition - rated lie-telling less
negatively than older
children

Question 14

Lee possible conclusions?

Answer 14

culture affects moral judgement e.g. Chinese emphasis on self-effacement + modesty

moral judgement changes as age increases

prosocial situations - Chinese children rate truth-telling
less positively than Canadians

prosocial situations - Chinese children rate lie-telling less
negatively than Canadians

antisocial situations - both cultures show similar
evaluations of both lie-telling +
truth-telling