Show HEW Studying Favorable Behavior It's a complex world we live and one that's constantly growing more and more In such a as a necessity for survival if nothing we have to learn to get along with our fellow And this requires learning concern for other BUT JUST how do we learn and first develop concern for Scientists of HEW's National Institute of Mental Health are finding out in an interesting study with young Far too little is known about favorable we may know more about though all the answers aren't in there by a long SO THE scientists set out to learn more about the potentialities for altruistic responsiveness in the very choosing nursery school children between the ages of three and six years for their Responses of the children to distress situations portrayed in real life situations were observed by trained SITUATIONS included children eating ice cream cones in the presence of one who had a dog whose chain got wound too tightly around a an adult who bumps her head on a table while picking up a toy from the and 36 other distressful Although the research is the scientists have already learned some interesting and the evidence so far shows that training is the key to developing a young child's concern for training done under a special set of CHILDREN demonstrating the highest degree of concern for the findings are found where parents show such concern in their own everyday Parents must also be responsive to their children's They must point out to their in specific the desirability the best method for-altruistic ABSENCE of any of these manifestations in a parent sharply reduces the level of altruism likely to be developed in the Children's reactions for as long as six months following their participation in the study suggest that a lasting impression can be made during these very early |