Introduction
People do not always get what they want, and in such cases, the conflict appears, as people’s desires are extended, in most cases, and the possibilities are limited because of the prohibition rules. The emotional consequences of the inability to fulfill the desires because of the prohibition rules may be easily investigated on children, whose age peculiarities are those, that they are unable to control their desires and try to reach their aim despite all, and on adults, who may restrict themselves and limit them in the desires.
Method
64 children and adults took part in the experiments; there were four different age groups: sixteen 4 years old, sixteen 5 to 6 years old, sixteen 7 to 8 years old, and sixteen adults, from 18 till 23. The number of male and female participants was equal. The experiment was provided in two scenarios: simple-desire stories and desire-rule conflict stories. Simple-desire stories were based on the principle that when the child wants something, he/she is either unable to get it because of the inability to reach the aim or the desire is fulfilled completely. Desire-rule conflict stories presupposed that people were not allowed to do what they wanted because of certain rules. The investigation technique supported the experiment as well as the tests after the experiment followed (Lagattuta 716).
Results and Conclusions
Some results of the experiment were predicted, and, as it was expected, almost in all cases 100% of the participants experienced positive emotions when they were able to fulfill their desires in the simple-desire story scenario and negative emotions, when they had to face the impossibility is reaching their desires. Moreover, when 4-5 years old children were breaking the rules, they were happy as they managed to reach their aims. The situation with 7 years old and adults are more complicated, as most participants felt happy when they managed to satisfy their desires in no-rule prohibited situations. The situations with the rules were conducted in the following ways, some people were not able to satisfy their desires because of the rules and felt bad, but those who disregarded the rules and still reached their aims satisfied their desires, also felt bad and sorry for their actions. So, it may be concluded that children in the younger age are freer in their desires and do not feel sorry if their actions contradict the rules, which are implemented. The situation is that they are unable to analyze their actions. The elder children and adults can analyze their actions and can understand that their desires may not coincide with the rules and the rules violation may lead to unpredictable and bad conclusions. The inability to reach the desired aim has also upset them, as well as the reaching the aim thorough the rules violation (Lagattuta 721).
Reaction
The current investigation shows that the moral and obligation connections of elder children and adults are strong, while they are absent as children. The experiment, provided in the article, made me understand the children’s psychology better and the connection of it with the social behavior of children, that the connection of people’s desires and their emotions are high. The experiment is closely connected with the class we studied as the education theories may be developed from the results of the experiment and the techniques of how to teach children of different age groups to follow rules may also be provided.
Works Cited
Lagattuta, K. H. “When you shouldn’t do what you want to do: Young children’s understanding of desires, rules, and emotions”. Child Development 76.3 (2005): 713-733. Print.