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Inequity aversion in human adults: testing behavioural criteria from comparative cognition
Ljerka Ostojić1, Nicola S Clayton
1Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
Animal Cognition
|February 19, 2013
Summary
Human inequity aversion, the drive to reduce reward discrepancies, is influenced by social comparison and fairness concerns, not just self-interest. This aligns with similar behaviors observed in other species.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Comparative Cognition
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Inequity aversion describes the tendency to reduce discrepancies between personal and others' input-output ratios.
- While studied in animals, human inequity aversion lacks clear behavioral criteria, often relying on implicit assumptions of social comparison and fairness.
- Existing research in comparative cognition provides behavioral benchmarks for inequity aversion in non-human animals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether adult human inequity aversion meets the behavioral criteria established in studies of non-human animals.
- To determine if social comparison and fairness concerns, rather than selfish motives, underpin human inequity aversion.
- To explore potential shared mechanisms of economic decision-making between humans and other species.
Main Methods:
- Experimental design based on behavioral criteria from comparative cognition studies on inequity aversion.
- Testing adult humans in both solitary and partnered conditions to differentiate social and non-social effects.
- Analyzing subject decisions to rule out purely selfish motivations and assess the role of fairness.
Main Results:
- Humans exhibited reduced motivation to work for lower rewards when alone (non-social effect).
- This effect was amplified when a partner was present, indicating a social comparison component.
- Results suggest fairness concerns, not selfish motives, primarily drive decisions, satisfying key inequity aversion criteria.
Conclusions:
- Human inequity aversion aligns with established behavioral criteria, particularly social comparison and fairness.
- Findings support the hypothesis that similar processes underlie economic decision-making in humans and other animals.
- This research bridges the gap between human and animal studies on inequity aversion and fairness.
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