Increased sharing between collaborators extends beyond the spoils of collaboration.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Social Cognitive Development
• Early Childhood Education

Background:

• Preschoolers exhibit increased equal sharing after collaborative resource earning.
• Collaboration appears crucial for developing fairness in early childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how specific components of collaborative interactions influence children's sharing.
• To understand the social cognitive underpinnings of increased equal sharing in preschoolers.

Main Methods:

• Compared the effects of three collaborative conditions on children's sharing: earning resources, goal-oriented collaboration without earning, and social play.
• Assessed changes in the proportion of equal sharing across different interaction types.

Main Results:

• Replicated previous findings: sharing of collaboratively earned resources increased equal sharing.
• Collaboration toward a concrete goal boosted sharing, irrespective of resource earning.
• Social play alone did not significantly impact sharing behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Collaborating toward a shared concrete goal promotes prosociality beyond just sharing earned items.
• The context of working towards a common objective is vital for fostering fairness in young children.