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Perceived access to resources and young children's fairness judgments
1Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|August 21, 2019
Summary
Young children's family resource perceptions influence their fairness reasoning. Those perceiving higher family resources prioritized ownership over equality, unlike peers with lower or middle perceptions.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Resource Perception
Background:
- Children's understanding of fairness and resource distribution develops early.
- Socioeconomic status and perceived resources can shape children's social reasoning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how young children's perceptions of their family's resources influence their judgments about fairness and resource distribution.
- To explore the relationship between perceived socioeconomic status and children's views on ownership versus equality.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 101 children (mean age 4.14 years) participated.
- Children self-identified their family's resource level (lower, middle, higher) using a sticker-based measure.
- Participants evaluated a scenario involving resource redistribution to establish equality.
Main Results:
- Children perceiving higher family resources prioritized ownership rights over equal distribution.
- Children with lower or middle perceived family resources showed less consistent prioritization of either ownership or equality.
- Perceptions of family resources significantly impacted children's fairness judgments.
Conclusions:
- Young children's understanding of fairness is influenced by their perceived family socioeconomic status.
- Early perceptions of resource access shape children's reasoning about equitable treatment and ownership.
- This study highlights the early emergence of resource-aware social reasoning in children.