Chinese Town Uses 5th Graders to Catch Cheaters on Police Exam(google.com)
google.com
Chinese Town Uses 5th Graders to Catch Cheaters on Police Exam
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jW4zgbYgBSArm_XhxcvFVeGDvO9AD99P78M80
3 comments
Having just finished reading 1984, I couldn't help but think of the children as part of the "spies". It's an interesting experiment, but I'm not sure if we want to start positively reinforcing the behavior in children to rat out adults on a regular basis. All it takes to ruin your life is one child, looking for some attention, to create a story with you as the villain.
I don't understand what makes kids uniquely qualified to be more honest? It seems counter-intuitive.
adult supervisors were found to allow some cheating during police exams to prevent officers' embarrassment
Vs. Kids who probably enjoyed getting adults in trouble.
Vs. Kids who probably enjoyed getting adults in trouble.
The problem with that is that most kids do not understand the gravity of most situations. If the kids are motivated by accolades or treats then they might throw in a few false positives for selfish reasons.
I would think they are less likely to empathize with a cheater and think that revealing him would cause him embarrassment or career. I have experienced that kids of that age are more likely to call out people's bs without really thinking of social consequences of that.
PS. if this is an examp for high official jobs, I would think the adult supervisors might intentionally overlook some cheaters to get on their good side in the future when they get powerful posts.
PS. if this is an examp for high official jobs, I would think the adult supervisors might intentionally overlook some cheaters to get on their good side in the future when they get powerful posts.
There was a great bbc or nova episode that followed a number of children as they passed into adolescence. One of things they noted was how for a child there is no moral ambiguity.
"Your wife is very sick, but you have no money. Your at a store and have the opportunity to steal some medicine, do you?"
The children always said it was wrong and there was no justification for stealing. The 13 year old was very hesitant and unsure what to say.
So for a 5th grader (11?) there is no emotion about it, the guy is cheating and will be reported on.
"Your wife is very sick, but you have no money. Your at a store and have the opportunity to steal some medicine, do you?"
The children always said it was wrong and there was no justification for stealing. The 13 year old was very hesitant and unsure what to say.
So for a 5th grader (11?) there is no emotion about it, the guy is cheating and will be reported on.
I suppose it's all relative which is what should make this frightening for most Chinese citizenry. This is a police exam - ie people who are being let out into the world to catch cheaters and those who break the law. What makes the fifth graders likely to be more honest is that they probably have a greater reputational incentive for catching cheaters than the previous examiners did (which is in itself a more frightening thought that examiners for a police exam would think that catching cheating is "embarrassing" and brush it under the table).
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At last, they have hands on experience in cheating during school exams :)
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Seems like a humbling experience for the test takers to be supervised by 12-year-olds, and when you get to a position of power a humbling experience or two are useful. For kids on the other hand it puts cheating into perspective. I wonder if it will make them less likely to cheat in the future or, in opposite, give them ideas how to do it better.