Baby Morality

The Helping vs. Hindering Study

Helper Scenario

Hinderer Scenario

Climber

Helper

↑

↓

The yellow character wants to climb to the top of the hill.

After watching both scenarios, which character do babies prefer?

The Helper

The Hinderer

What the research found:

80% Helper

20%

In the original study, 80% of 6-month-old babies reached for the helper character, and only 20% reached for the hinderer.

This suggests that even before babies can talk or walk, they already have a preference for those who help others over those who hinder them—a rudimentary sense of morality.

Infant Moral Cognition

Are we born with a sense of right and wrong?

In 2007, researchers at Yale's Infant Cognition Center conducted a groundbreaking study on babies as young as 6 months old.

Babies watched a simple puppet show: a character tries to climb a hill. Sometimes a helper pushes it up. Sometimes a hinderer pushes it down.

When offered both characters afterward, the vast majority of babies reached for the helper.

This was revolutionary: it suggested that some sense of morality—preferring helpful over harmful behavior—might be innate, not learned.

Study Details

Researchers Hamlin, Wynn, Bloom

Institution Yale University

Year 2007

Ages Tested 6 & 10 months

Helper Preference ~80%

The implication: Humans may be born with a basic moral sense—a foundation that culture and experience then build upon. We don't start as "blank slates."