---
_id: '13645'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Many attitudes are acquired in early childhood. However, due to a lack of
    experimental research, little is known about the processes of how they are acquired.
    Two experiments were therefore conducted with 153 German kindergarten children
    aged 3–6 years that provide first evidence for childhood attitude formation in
    terms of evaluative conditioning. Specifically, it was found that children preferred
    novel stimuli previously paired with liked stimuli over novel stimuli previously
    paired with disliked stimuli. This effect occurred independently of age, generalized
    toward similar novel stimuli, and did not depend on children's recollection of
    how stimuli were paired. The findings are discussed in terms of the processes
    underlying childhood attitude formation, and implications for related research
    areas are highlighted.
author:
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Eva
  full_name: Walther, Eva
  last_name: Walther
- first_name: Michael
  full_name: Schneider, Michael
  last_name: Schneider
citation:
  ama: Halbeisen G, Walther E, Schneider M. Evaluative Conditioning and the Development
    of Attitudes in Early Childhood. <i>Child Development</i>. 2016;88(5):1536-1543.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657">10.1111/cdev.12657</a>
  apa: Halbeisen, G., Walther, E., &#38; Schneider, M. (2016). Evaluative Conditioning
    and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood. <i>Child Development</i>,
    <i>88</i>(5), 1536–1543. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657">https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657</a>
  bjps: <b>Halbeisen G, Walther E and Schneider M</b> (2016) Evaluative Conditioning
    and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood. <i>Child Development</i>
    <b>88</b>, 1536–1543.
  chicago: 'Halbeisen, Georg, Eva Walther, and Michael Schneider. “Evaluative Conditioning
    and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood.” <i>Child Development</i>
    88, no. 5 (2016): 1536–43. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657">https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Halbeisen, Georg, Eva Walther und Michael Schneider. 2016. Evaluative
    Conditioning and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood. <i>Child Development</i>
    88, Nr. 5: 1536–1543. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657">10.1111/cdev.12657</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen, Georg</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Walther, Eva</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Schneider,
    Michael</span>: Evaluative Conditioning and the Development of Attitudes in Early
    Childhood. In: <i>Child Development</i> Bd. 88, Oxford University Press (OUP)
    (2016), Nr. 5, S. 1536–1543'
  havard: G. Halbeisen, E. Walther, M. Schneider, Evaluative Conditioning and the
    Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood, Child Development. 88 (2016) 1536–1543.
  ieee: 'G. Halbeisen, E. Walther, and M. Schneider, “Evaluative Conditioning and
    the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood,” <i>Child Development</i>, vol.
    88, no. 5, pp. 1536–1543, 2016, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657">10.1111/cdev.12657</a>.'
  mla: Halbeisen, Georg, et al. “Evaluative Conditioning and the Development of Attitudes
    in Early Childhood.” <i>Child Development</i>, vol. 88, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1536–43,
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657">https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12657</a>.
  short: G. Halbeisen, E. Walther, M. Schneider, Child Development 88 (2016) 1536–1543.
  ufg: '<b>Halbeisen, Georg/Walther, Eva/Schneider, Michael</b>: Evaluative Conditioning
    and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood, in: <i>Child Development</i>
    88 (2016), H. 5,  S. 1536–1543.'
  van: Halbeisen G, Walther E, Schneider M. Evaluative Conditioning and the Development
    of Attitudes in Early Childhood. Child Development. 2016;88(5):1536–43.
date_created: 2026-03-27T10:19:11Z
date_updated: 2026-04-08T12:54:04Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1111/cdev.12657
extern: '1'
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000409182100013'
  pmid:
  - '27797098'
intvolume: '        88'
isi: '1'
issue: '5'
language:
- iso: eng
page: 1536-1543
pmid: '1'
publication: Child Development
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0009-3920
  - 1467-8624
publication_status: published
publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Evaluative Conditioning and the Development of Attitudes in Early Childhood
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83778'
volume: 88
year: '2016'
...