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Meritocratic sharing is based on collaboration in 3-year-olds
Katharina Hamann1, Johanna Bender1, Michael Tomasello1
1Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology.
Developmental Psychology
|May 22, 2013
Summary
Young preschoolers share more resources when a partner is overpaid, especially after collaborative tasks. This indicates young children consider merit and fairness in resource distribution during peer interactions.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Preschoolers' understanding of fairness and resource allocation is crucial for social development.
- Previous research suggested limited attention to merit-based distribution in young children.
- The role of collaborative versus non-collaborative tasks in shaping fairness perceptions was unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate proportional reward allocation in 3.5-year-old preschoolers.
- To examine how merit (work input) influences resource distribution in different task contexts.
- To determine if peer collaboration enhances attention to fairness norms.
Main Methods:
- 32 pairs of 3.5-year-old peers completed collaborative and non-collaborative tasks involving reward acquisition.
- Experimental conditions manipulated work input and reward allocation (Deserving vs. Undeserving).
- Children's sharing behavior was observed and quantified in both conditions.
Main Results:
- Children shared more resources in the Undeserving condition (partner overpaid) after collaborative tasks.
- Sharing differences between Deserving and Undeserving conditions were not significant in parallel work tasks.
- Young children demonstrated an understanding of merit in resource distribution, particularly in collaborative settings.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers consider merit in resource allocation earlier than previously thought.
- Peer collaboration significantly facilitates children's attention to fairness norms.
- These findings have implications for understanding the development of social justice and cooperation.
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