A new study by the University of Oxford reveals that mentoring programs significantly boost honesty in children, with effects lasting for years. The research, Malleability of Preferences for Honesty challenges the idea that truthfulness is a fixed trait. Instead, it shows that positive social interactions can shape moral behavior.
Led by Professor Johannes Abeler from Oxford’s Department of Economics, the study examined children from low-income backgrounds in Germany. Researchers assessed the impact of a year-long mentoring program. The program, Balu und Du (Baloo and You), paired primary school children with university student mentors.
Mentors engaged children in activities like cooking, sports, and arts, offering social support outside their family environment. Four years later, researchers measured the children’s honesty through behavioral experiments that tested truth-telling in controlled settings.
The results were striking. Children who participated in the mentoring program were significantly more honest than those who did not. The impact endured years after the intervention, proving that honesty is not fixed but can be nurtured.
“Our findings reveal that honesty is not a fixed trait. With the right social support, we can foster honest behavior that endures over time,” said Professor Abeler.
Children from less supportive family environments benefited the most. Those whose parents exhibited less warmth or trust showed the greatest improvement in honesty. This suggests that mentors served as critical role models.
IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIETY
Honesty is fundamental to trust in personal relationships, economic transactions, and governance. In an era of rising misinformation and declining trust, the study highlights the importance of role models in shaping ethical behavior.
“Today’s social interactions lay the foundations for the society we will live in tomorrow,” Abeler emphasized.
The research suggests that structured mentorship programs can play a vital role in fostering moral development, reinforcing the idea that positive social environments shape lasting ethical values.
