A typical child plays many roles, such as friend, neighbor, son or daughter. Simply reminding children of that fact can lead to better problem-solving and more flexible thinking, finds new research. Better problem-solving was just one positive finding of the study. After considering their own various identities, children also showed more flexible thinking about race and other social groupings — a behavior that could be valuable in an increasingly diverse society.

«This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their multi-faceted selves,» said lead author Sarah Gaither, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke. «Such reminders boost their problem-solving skills and how flexibly they see their social worlds — all from a simple mindset switch.»

Better problem-solving was just one positive finding of the study, Gaither said. After considering their own various identities, children also showed more flexible thinking about race and other social groupings — a behavior that could be valuable in an increasingly diverse society.

The research appears July 2 in the journal Developmental Science.

In a series of experiments, Gaither and her colleagues looked at 196 children, ages 6 and 7. All were native English speakers.

In one experiment, the first group of children was reminded they have various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper. A second group of children was reminded of their multiple physical attributes (such as a mouth, arms and legs).

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