In some contexts, punishment is seen as an obligation limited to authority figures. In others, it is also a responsibility of ordinary citizens. In two studies with 4- to 7-year-olds (n = 232) and adults (n = 76), we examined developing judgments about whether certain individuals, either authority figures or peers, are obligated to intervene (Study 1) or to punish (Study 2) after witnessing an antisocial action. In both studies, children and adults judged authority figures as obligated to act, but only younger children judged ordinary individuals as also obligated to do so. Taken together, the present findings suggest that younger children, at least in the United States, start off viewing norm enforcement as a universal responsibility, entrusting even ordinary citizens with a duty to intervene in response to antisocial individuals. Older children and adults, though, see obligations as role-dependent-only authority figures are obligated to intervene.

中文翻译：

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发展对同伴干预义务的判断。

在某些情况下，惩罚被视为仅限于权威人士的义务。在其他情况下，这也是普通公民的责任。在针对 4 至 7 岁儿童 (n = 232) 和成人 (n = 76) 的两项研究中，我们检查了关于某些个人，无论是权威人物还是同龄人，是否有义务进行干预（研究 1）或在目睹反社会行为后惩罚（研究 2）。在这两项研究中，儿童和成人都认为权威人物有义务采取行动，但只有年幼的儿童认为普通人也有义务这样做。综上所述，目前的研究结果表明，至少在美国，年幼的儿童开始将规范执行视为一项普遍责任，甚至委托普通公民也有责任干预以应对反社会人士。