How young children construe pain experienced by self and others: A case of naive theory

We investigated young children's construal of pain in relation to (a) the self, (b) other humans, and (c) animals, plants, and objects, to elucidate children's cognitive understanding of this complex, abstract, subjective concept. We interviewed 17 Kindergarten students using a variety of non-painful stimuli and procedures to prompt discussion of pain's causes, consequences, intensity, contagion, and treatment. Findings suggest that young children use naive theory to describe pain that only partly agree with canonic knowledge and were cognizance of the need to treat pain and cope with it. Awareness of children's construal of pain may promote caregivers' and teachers' ability to effectively treat pain-related situations and contribute to the design of a relevant curriculum for enhancing their knowledge about pain.