Reminding kids of their multiple roles makes them better problem solvers

Washington: Parents wanting their kids to become good problem solvers and develop flexible thinking, should remind their little ones of the many roles they play – brother, sister, neighbour, daughter! A new study published in the journal Developmental Science brings out the fact that children become better problem-solvers if they are reminded of their roles as a son, friend, brother, to name a few.
“This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their multi-faceted selves. Such reminders boost their problem-solving skills and how flexibly they see their social worlds, all from a simple mindset switch,” said lead author Sarah Gaither.
Once kids are told about their identities, they also show flexible thinking about matters pertaining to race, or even other social groupings.
In a series of experiments, Gaither and her colleagues looked at 196 children, ages 6 and 7 who were all native English speakers.
In one experiment, the first group of children was reminded they have various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper. The second group of children was reminded of their multiple physical attributes (such as a mouth, arms and legs).