• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.89-107
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• 2009

This study investigated how peer popularity is linked to children's understanding, moral judgment, and emotional reactions about three different types of lies. Participants were second (n=53) and fourth (n=54) grade children. Results showed that (1) popular children afforded better understanding of white lies than unpopular children; most children understood the definition of an antisocial lie, but not a trick lie. (2) Popular children rated lies more positively than unpopular children. Second graders did not differentiate between the morality of white and trick lies; fourth graders rated white lies as the least serious type of lie. (3) Second graders anticipated greater positive emotional reaction for antisocial lies and greater negative emotional reaction for white lies and trick lies, respectively, than fourth graders.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1079-1091
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• 2008

This study investigated developmental differences of moral evaluation for different lies. The subjects were 170 6-, 8-, and 10-year-olds. Children's understanding of, moral judgment for, and emotional reactions to antisocial lie, white lie, and trick lie were assessed. Major findings were as follows: 1. Children's understanding of lies was increased with age. Children understood well in definition for antisocial lie, whereas they understood poorly in definition for trick lie. 2. There were differences of children's moral judgment for lies according to age and lie types. Six- and 8-year-olds rated trick lie as the least serious lie type, whereas 10-year-olds rated white lie as the least serious lie type. 3. Children anticipated the greatest negative emotional reaction to antisocial lie, and the greatest positive reaction to trick lie by all ages. There was no difference of positive emotional reaction between antisocial lie and white lie for 6- and 8-year-olds. But 10-year-olds anticipated greater positive emotional reaction to white lie than antisocial lie.