CHILDRENS REASONING ABOUT 3 AUTHORITY ATTRIBUTES - ADULT STATUS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SOCIAL POSITION

The study examined the development of authority concepts with regard to three attributes of authority figures: adult status, knowledge, and social position. Subjects (40 male, 40 female) in Grades 1-7, from schools with programs that place children in positions of authority, were interviewed to assess their evaluations of commands from single individuals possessing different authority attributes and their choices between different individuals who gave opposing commands. Subjects weighted both social position and knowledge more heavily than adult status in judging legitimacy and obedience and in choosing between individuals giving opposing commands. Children are not primarily oriented toward obedience to adults but are able to conceptualize the social-organizational role of authority, as well as authorities' relevant knowledge. Their understanding of authority is linked to the development of underlying concepts of social organization and institutions.