Are young children's preferences and evaluations of moral and conventional transgressors associated with domain distinctions in judgments?

•A novel puppet task assessed moral and conventional preferences and evaluations.•2- and 4-year-olds’ puppet task responses were compared to explicit moral judgments.•4-year-olds preferred and judged conventional violators less wrong and punishable.•2- and 4-year olds allocated fewer resources to moral transgressors.•Explicit moral judgments were related to puppet task preferences and evaluations.