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The impact of resource valence on children's other-regarding preferences

Robert Böhm1, David Buttelmann2

  • 1School of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University.

Developmental Psychology
|June 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children show more prosocial behavior towards their in-group, especially with positive resources. This tendency strengthens with age, impacting intergroup conflict understanding.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Other-regarding preferences are crucial for understanding intergroup conflict.
  • Children's development of in-group vs. out-group favoritism is increasingly studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate children's resource allocation based on recipient group (in-group/out-group) and resource type (positive/negative).
  • Examine age-related changes in these preferences.

Main Methods:

  • 92 children (6- and 8-year-olds) allocated resources to themselves, in-group, or out-group members.
  • Resources varied in valence (positive or negative).

Main Results:

  • Prosociality was higher towards in-group members than out-group members.
  • Prosociality was higher for positive resources than negative resources.
  • In-group favoritism increased with age, while resource valence importance decreased.

Conclusions:

  • Children's other-regarding preferences are influenced by group membership and resource valence.
  • Age modulates the interplay between group identity and prosocial behavior.
  • Findings illuminate psychological roots of intergroup conflict and cooperation.

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