These results are congruent with research suggesting that punitive and power-assertive methods of discipline may result in decreased likelihood that children will internalize rules and standards
when compared with more inductive techniques that emphasize why it is important for children
to behave in a certain way. Because young children rely mostly on the guidance of others in determining how to act , appeals to tell the truth likely assist them in discovering what behavior is expected of them in particular situations. Because children at a young age are most concerned about pleasing adults, external appeals may have the greatest potency in motivating children to tell the truth. In the current study, children appeared to be more likely to tell the truth when doing so would please the experimenter despite expected punishment for the transgression.
These appeals may have also directly appeased any concerns that children had of being punished for their transgression. With age, children internalize moral standards and may be more influenced by internal factors rather than
external factors).
It may be that internal appeals will have a greater influence on older children’s behavior. Notably,
the efficacy of the different appeals on honesty did not interact with age in this sample.
It may be that a difference would be found between appeal efficacy and age if older
children and early adolescents were included in the sample.
It may also be the case that children who have already internalized moral standards
are less likely to commit a transgression in the first place (e.g., peek in the temptation resistance paradigm).
This was not measured in the current study.
Future research should examine the effects of external and internal appeals with older children and
their transgressive behavior. In addition,
the impact of order and phrasing of instructions on children’s behavior should be further examined.