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Related Concept Videos

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other01:20

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...
Empathy02:34

Empathy

Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
Egoism and Altruism01:55

Egoism and Altruism

Voluntary behavior with the intent to help other people is called prosocial behavior. Why do people help other people? Is personal benefit such as feeling good about oneself the only reason people help one another?
Altruism01:03

Altruism

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Inclusive Fitness00:57

Inclusive Fitness

Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

Young children consider merit when sharing resources with others.

Patricia Kanngiesser1, Felix Warneken

  • 1School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. patricia.kanngiesser@bris.ac.uk

Plos One
|September 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Young children share resources based on merit, even when costly. However, a self-serving bias limits their willingness to share equitably when they contribute less.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Moral Development
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Merit is a core principle of fairness, guiding reward distribution based on contribution.
  • Prior research indicates children consider merit in third-party scenarios but not first-party sharing until school age.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if young children (3- and 5-year-olds) use merit to guide resource sharing in first-party contexts.
  • To examine the extent to which children share resources based on their own and a partner's work contribution, even when costly.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies involving children and a puppet partner collecting coins for rewards.
  • Manipulation of work contributions (coins collected) by the child and partner.
  • Analysis of sticker allocation based on differential contributions.

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Main Results:

  • Children shared fewer stickers when their own contribution was lower than their partner's.
  • Children demonstrated an awareness of their own work relative to their partner's.
  • A self-serving bias was observed, with fewer children sharing more than half when the partner contributed more.

Conclusions:

  • Merit-based sharing is evident in young children, emerging earlier than previously thought.
  • Early merit-based sharing is constrained by a self-serving bias.
  • Children's resource allocation reflects an understanding of contribution-based fairness, albeit with egocentric limitations.