 Do most people get their values from their parents or from society at large? At what age, and with what tools, do children begin to work out what is right and wrong? Can young children distinguish between actions that are morally deviant and those that simply violate a social convention? This program explores those questions by observing a group of 25 six-year-olds and the varying levels of honesty and compassion they display. Confronted with simple yet specific tests—gauging their willingness to lie, cheat, and even destroy a photograph they are told is sentimentally valuable—each child exhibits a unique sense of what is good and correct. Equally revealing are the program’s comparisons between childhood and adult idealism. A BBC/Open University Co-production. Original broadcast title: Right and Wrong. Part of the series Child of Our Time 2006. (60 minutes)
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