Increasing young children's honest reports and decreasing their transgressions

Lehardy et al. (2023) worked with three young kids. Two had autism and one was neurotypical.

The team first taught the kids to tell the truth after they broke a rule. They gave praise and small toys for honest words.

Next they praised the kids for playing nicely with toys instead of breaking rules. They tracked honest reports, rule breaks, and play time.

All three kids told the truth more often. Rule breaking dropped close to zero. Play time went up.

Parents said they liked the plan. The good results lasted after the study ended.

Quilitch et al. (1973) showed that simply giving social toys can boost peer play five-fold. Lehardy adds a reinforcement step that also cuts lying and rule breaks.

Critchfield (1996) found adults take longer to report failures. Lehardy turns this problem around by rewarding fast, honest kid words.

Bachman et al. (1988) taught parents to report child illness with modeling and practice. Lehardy uses the same idea—reward accurate reports—but targets child honesty instead.

You can copy the two-step plan in any play room. First, catch a rule break, prompt the truth, and hand over a sticker. Second, watch the next minute of calm play and praise it. The combo builds both honesty and safe play without extra staff or gear.