19/12/2025
As the season of giving begins, new research by the Early Learning Lab shows that helping others feels good from a very young age 🌟
Our Director, Professor Annette Henderson, spoke with RNZ about our recently published study. Following a group of children from ages two to four, we found that toddlers who help spontaneously, whether that be comforting someone or sharing a toy, show the greatest happiness 🤩🧸🎁
This is the first study to track various prosocial behaviours and the positive emotions that follow across early childhood.
A huge thank you to all the ELLA families who participated in this meaningful research! ✨✨
May we all take inspiration from our youngest helpers and find joy in giving of any form. Merry Christmas from the ELLA team, and we will catch you in 2026 with more exciting results, and fresh new studies! 🎄
To find out more, you can listen to the RNZ interview here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2019016786/why-giving-makes-children-happier
Or you can read this short article here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/12/15/-tis-the-season-to-help-others---even-for-toddlers.html
