Abstract: Spreading-alternatives-effect is a form of attitude changed caused by post decision dissonance. After choose between two equally attractive alternatives, people tend to evaluate the chosen alternative more positively or devaluate the rejected alternative. It can be observed in both adults and children. Recent study found that spreading-alternatives-effect can be eliminated by hand-washing in adults. The purpose of this study is to explore whether physical clean behavior such as hand-washing can Eliminate Children’s’ post decision dissonance, as it do in adults. 110 of 4-year old kindergarten children participated in this experiment, 5 of them refused to cooperate, 105 of them finished the experiment as the designed way (M=53.4month, SD=2.98, 49boys). Blind-two-choice task in which preferences cannot guide choices and it is applicable for children. 3 brightly colored plastic toys were used ad stimuli. The toys are the same except the colors, which are mainly red, blue and orange. Each 3 toys were put in 3 stockings to hide the main identities of the toys, 2 of the stockings were same colored and the third one was different. Children firstly chose between two toys in same colored stocking, while the color of the toys cannot be seen, and secondly chose between the rejected alternative and the third one. To manipulate the independent variables (hand-washing vs. no hand-washing), participants in experiment group took a sanitizing wipes with their hands after first choice, and participants in control group didn’t. A chi-square test shows a significant difference across the two conditions(x2(1, n =105) =4.247, p= .031). In the no hand-washing condition, A chi-square test shows that children reliably preferred toy in the third stocking (36 of the 53 children, 67.9%, x2(1, n =53) =6.811, p= .009). It means that there is significant spreading-alternatives-effect in no hand-washing condition. As compare, in the hand-washing condition, participants showed no preference between the rejected alternative and a third object in the second choice (25 of the 52 children, 48.1%, x2(1, n =52)=.077, p=.728). It indicates that there is no choice induced preference or spreading-alternatives-effect in the hand-washing condition. The results for the first time provide evidence that physical clean behavior as hand-washing can eliminate Children’s post decision dissonance. This study suggests that embodied psychological phenomena not just exist in adults, but also in children. The mechanism of spreading-alternatives-effect could be explained under the frame of embodied cognition. Furthermore, adults may be affected by metaphors such as “wash away your trouble”, as concept metaphor theory stands, but participant in this study are preschoolers, do they understand this kind of metaphor? If not, does it mean that this sort of embodiment effect lie beyond and before metaphors? These are still questions need to be explored in future studies.

Key words: Physical clean, spreading-alternatives-effect, Embodied cognition

摘要： 研究以105名4岁幼儿为被试，采用选择扩散范式的盲选-双选法考察身体清洁能否消除低龄幼儿的选择扩散效应。通过操纵自变量(洗手vs.不洗手)，观察幼儿是否出现选择扩散。结果发现，不洗手组的被试出现明显的选择扩散效应，洗手组则没有。说明4岁幼儿已经表现出选择扩散效应，且能通过身体清洁得以消除。除了自我心理学和行为倾向的解释之外，研究结果说明，具身认知可能也是影响选择扩散效应的心理机制。

关键词: 身体清洁, 选择扩散效应, 具身认知