Do cartoons trigger an influence on children's altruism?

Abstract

The present study evaluated children's prosocial behavior (M = 7.39, SD = 0.93) (i.e., specific altruism) under the influence of three types of cartoons (neutral, prosocial, or antisocial). Subjects (N = 140) were randomized and exposed to treatment with pre- and post-intervention measurements. The results didn't confirm the hypothesis that children who will watch prosocial cartoons will have increased altruism proving a higher volume of donations. The second hypothesis regarding the inhibitory effect of antisocial cartoons on altruism by decreasing the volume of donations was not confirmed either. No significant gender effects were recorded. No significant general age effect was found either, however, we found that donations tend to increase with age, a statistically significant effect being recorded for children age 8 years old compared to those of 6 years old. The implications of the statistical data are discussed together with the possibility of registering a ""moral licensing"" effect."