12/23/2023 12:02 p.m., updated 12/23/2023 12:02 p.m
Do you remember at what age you stopped believing in the existence of Santa Claus? Psychologists from the University of Texas and George Mason, both in the USA, conducted research to find out at what age group and why people begin to doubt the old man who gives gifts to children at Christmas.
According to Texas psychologist Candice Mills, children typically begin to differentiate between fantasy and reality in preschool age, between the ages of zero and six. “But their belief in the existence of a unique, magical Santa Claus often lasts until midchildhood,” he said in an interview with The Guardian.
The findings, published in September this year in the journal PsyArXiv, show that most children begin to question the existence of Santa Claus around the age of eight. However, some doubt it as early as the age of three or four, while others hold on to the belief until they are 15 or 16 years old. It is often the statements of other peers that influence change.
To better understand age and what triggers skepticism, Candice and her colleagues interviewed a group of 48 children and adolescents between the ages of six and 15 who no longer believed in the good old man. The researchers also interviewed 44 parents of the volunteers and another 383 adults about their memories.
Reducing parental trust
About a third of children and half of adults reported negative emotions the moment they began to doubt Santa's existence. Although these feelings were generally mild and shortlived, about 10% of adults reported persistent sadness or reduced trust in parents as a result.
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“Living with other children and reason spoke more. “For example, the thought of how Santa Claus manages to travel around the world in one night in a carriage pulled by flying reindeer left her in disbelief,” says Candice.
One of the adults interviewed said he felt betrayed by his parents because those who taught him not to lie were lying. “In these cases, parents can lessen the shock by acknowledging their children’s feelings and talking about why they have included Santa Claus in their Christmas traditions,” advises the psychologist.
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