Ann Arbor Times

The COVID-19 pandemic forced individuals and families worldwide to adopt new health behaviors rapidly. A study from the University of Michigan reveals that young children were able to understand these changes and the reasons behind them, despite the challenges.

Felix Warneken, a professor of psychology at U-M and lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of examining how children interpreted health strategies like mask-wearing during the pandemic. “Studying how kids interpreted mask-wearing and other strategies for staying healthy during COVID-19 is important,” Warneken stated. “It helps us figure out how to teach them about health behaviors in a way they understand.”

Warneken, alongside Katherine McAuliffe from Boston College, investigated children's reasoning regarding new health habits. They discovered that even young children assessed these actions based on their well-being and others’. Warneken noted, “Adults used to praise children for sharing their toys with others or giving comforting hugs to a friend—and suddenly during a pandemic these acts are the exact opposite of what you should do.”

The researchers questioned school-aged children about appropriate actions during a pandemic. Findings showed that children recognized non-contact help as beneficial. Moreover, it became evident that children felt morally obligated to adopt health behaviors preventing harm to others.

“When we introduced children to completely novel health behaviors, children overwhelmingly thought individuals should adopt them to protect others,” Warneken explained. For many young ones, safeguarding others' health outweighed personal inconvenience.

However, while children grasped new rules and habits' purposes, family and community views—often influenced by political contexts—could shape their opinions on such health practices.

Warneken acknowledged some limitations in their research: participants were predominantly from middle-class U.S. families with college-educated parents. He highlighted the need for considering cultural and national differences in responses to pandemics as potential influences on children's experiences.

The findings are detailed in an article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science.