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The Conversation USA

What do kids really think about Santa?

  • Written by Jonathan Lane, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
Young children are captivated by the Santa Claus myth. Yoganov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com

Children’s belief in Santa may be taken as evidence that they’re gullible or unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. But, consider your reaction to the following scenario:

The past few nights, the local news has been filled with reports of an...

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