Ideas versus labor: What do children value in artistic creation?

► We investigate whether children value ideas over labor. ► Four and 6 year olds were asked to chose pictures containing either their ideas or labor. ► Six, but not 4 year olds chose pictures containing their ideas. ► Six year olds favor ideas they merely think are theirs, and also in third-party cases. ► By age 6 children value ideas over effort.