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Children's Understanding of the Distinction between Intentions and Desires
Author(s) -
Schult Carolyn A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.t01-1-00502
Subject(s) - psychology , comprehension , action (physics) , developmental psychology , task (project management) , social psychology , outcome (game theory) , cognitive psychology , philosophy , linguistics , physics , mathematics , management , mathematical economics , quantum mechanics , economics
Much of the previous research on children's understanding of intentions confounded intentions with desires. Intentions and desires are different, in that a desire can be satisfied in a number of ways, but an intention must be satisfied by carrying out the intended action. Children 3 through 7 years of age and adults were presented with situations in which intentions were satisfied but desires were not, or vice versa, in a story–comprehension task ( N = 71) and a target–hitting game ( N = 45). Although 3– and 4–year–olds were unable to differentiate desires and intentions consistently, 5– and 7–year–olds often matched the adult pattern. Younger children's difficulties in understanding intentions are discussed in terms of their use of a desire–outcome matching strategy and the representational complexities of intentions.