5~8岁儿童道德判断中的“黑羊效应”：重复性违规与代表性违规的影响*

周双珠; 李冰琪; 戴林丽; 张璟

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260508

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心理科学 ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (5) : 1109-1120. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260508

发展与教育

5~8岁儿童道德判断中的“黑羊效应”：重复性违规与代表性违规的影响^*

周双珠 ¹^,² ,
李冰琪 ¹ ,
戴林丽 ³ ,
张璟 ¹^,²^,^**

作者信息 +

The Black Sheep Effect in Moral Judgment of 5- to 8- Year- Old Children: The Influence of Repetitive and Representative Violations

Zhou Shuangzhu ¹^,² ,
Li Bingqi ¹ ,
Dai Linli ³ ,
Zhang Jing ¹^,²^,^**

Author information +

文章历史 +

摘要

儿童道德判断中存在内群体偏爱和“黑羊效应”两种相反的现象，揭示其不同的发生条件与动机至关重要。“黑羊效应”指个体对违反规范的内群体成员比外群体成员更严厉的现象。研究以5~8岁儿童为被试，通过3项实验考察在重复性违规、代表性违规情境下，儿童对内外群体成员违反道德规范行为的道德判断、惩罚特点及惩罚动机。实验采用故事视频呈现违规行为，儿童通过拿走贴纸数量实施惩罚，并完成动机归因任务。结果发现：（1）违规次数调节惩罚行为，5~6岁儿童在布偶初次违规时显现内群体偏爱，而在重复违规时转为“黑羊效应”；7~8岁儿童在布偶初次违规时未表现内群体偏爱，但在重复违规时呈现稳定的“黑羊效应”。（2）违规者代表性影响惩罚强度，5~6岁与7~8岁儿童均对代表性内群体违规者惩罚更重。（3）儿童惩罚内群体违规者主要是基于因果，旨在使其将来的行为符合社会规范。研究表明，群体身份、违规情境影响儿童道德判断和惩罚行为，且儿童严惩内群体违规者体现出“严于律己，宽以待人”的心理。

Abstract

In the process of individual moral judgment, group identity significantly influences decision-making, leading to two distinct phenomena: in-group favoritism and the "Black Sheep Effect." While children often show favoritism toward in-group members, they sometimes treat them more harshly. The precise conditions under which children shift from in-group favoritism to the stricter "Black Sheep Effect" remain unclear, particularly regarding how specific features of moral violations—such as the repetition of violations and the representativeness of violators—moderate this shift. Guided by Social Identity Theory and Subjective Group Dynamics Theory, this study systematically investigated the moral judgments and punishment behaviors of 5- to 8-year-old children under different violation contexts—specifically, repetitive violations and violations by representative group members—and examined the underlying motivations.

Three experiments were conducted. In all experiments, children watched animated video scenarios depicting moral violations. Experiment 1 employed a 2 (Group Identity: In-group vs. Out-group) × 2 (Violation Type: Single vs. Repeated) × 2 (Age: 5-6 vs. 7-8 years) mixed design. A total of 128 children watched videos depicting in-group or out-group members committing either a single or repeated moral violation (taking pencils from a donation box). Punishment intensity was measured by the number of reward stickers deducted. Experiment 2 adopted a 2 (Group Identity: In-group vs. Out-group) × 2 (Representativeness: Representative vs. Non-representative) × 2 (Age: 5-6 vs. 7-8 years) mixed design with 124 participants. The representativeness of a puppet character (e.g., a class monitor and role model vs. an ordinary member) was manipulated via verbal descriptions prior to the violation. This experiment compared how children reacted to violations committed by highly representative group members (e.g., class monitors) versus ordinary group members. Experiment 3 used a within-subjects design with 61 children aged 7-8 years to investigate whether punishment motivations (consequentialist vs. retributive) differ between in-group and out-group violators. After making their punishment decisions, children rated their agreement with statements reflecting consequentialist (e.g., hoping for improvement) and retributive (e.g., believing they deserved it) motives. Data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and ANOVA.

The results revealed that: First, the interaction between violation context and group identity significantly influenced punishment. In single-violation contexts, 5- to 6-year-olds displayed in-group favoritism, punishing out-group members more severely. In repeated-violation contexts, children aged 5-8 consistently demonstrated the "Black Sheep Effect," punishing in-group violators more harshly, with the difference increasing with age. Notably, 7- to 8-year-olds showed no in-group bias in single-violation contexts, punishing both groups equally. Second, the representativeness of the violator amplified this effect. Children imposed the strongest punishment on representative in-group violators, with over 80% such violations as more severe. Third, punishment of in-group members was primarily driven by consequentialist motives (hoping for improvement), with significantly higher scores for in-group than out-group targets, while retributive motivations did not differ significantly between groups.

In conclusion, moral judgment and punishment in 5- to 8-year-olds are context dependent and develop with age. Repeated violations and the representativeness of the violator are key triggers of the "Black Sheep Effect." The stricter punishment of in-group violators is essentially driven by a consequentialist desire to "improve the group," reflecting a mindset of "strict with one's own, lenient with others." Younger children (5-6 years) are more influenced by in-group favoritism in single-violation contexts, whereas older children (7-8 years) pay greater attention to the nature of the act itself, overcoming group bias. This developmental pattern suggests a transition from a simpler "in-group preference" strategy to a more nuanced, norm-upholding approach to group membership. These findings demonstrate a developmental shift in children's moral reasoning, from a simple "in-group preference" to a more sophisticated enforcement of group norms, offering new theoretical insights and empirical evidence for moral education and the fostering of group responsibility.

导出引用

周双珠, 李冰琪, 戴林丽, 等. 5~8岁儿童道德判断中的“黑羊效应”：重复性违规与代表性违规的影响^*[J]. 心理科学. 2026, 49(5): 1109-1120 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260508

Zhou Shuangzhu, Li Bingqi, Dai Linli, et al. The Black Sheep Effect in Moral Judgment of 5- to 8- Year- Old Children: The Influence of Repetitive and Representative Violations[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2026, 49(5): 1109-1120 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20260508

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