Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 30, 2025

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis
10:08

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Published on: August 12, 2019

17.6K

Paying it forward: The development and underlying mechanisms of upstream reciprocity

Stefen Beeler-Duden1, Amrisha Vaish1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|January 18, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Four-year-olds demonstrate upstream reciprocity, sharing more with others after receiving help. This behavior, absent in three-year-olds, appears motivated by gratitude toward the helper.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Cognition
  • Prosocial Behavior

Background:

  • Understanding the origins of prosocial behaviors like reciprocity is crucial for child development.
  • Previous research has explored direct reciprocity, but upstream reciprocity in young children remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental emergence of upstream reciprocity in young children.
  • To explore the underlying motivations, specifically gratitude, driving this behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Study 1: 3- and 4-year-olds (n=80) either received help or not in a game, then shared stickers with a new child.
  • Study 2: Replicated findings with 4-year-olds (n=46), assessing their evaluations of the benefactor after receiving help.

Main Results:

  • Four-year-olds, unlike 3-year-olds, exhibited upstream reciprocity, sharing more after receiving help.
  • Children who received help showed more positive evaluations of the benefactor, which correlated with their sharing behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Upstream reciprocity emerges by age 4 in children.
  • Gratitude-like mechanisms appear to motivate this early form of upstream reciprocity.

Keywords:
AltruismGratitudePay it forwardProsocial behaviorSharingUpstream reciprocity

More Related Videos

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods09:29

Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods

Published on: August 4, 2022

2.5K
Retroviral Transduction of Helper T Cells as a Genetic Approach to Study Mechanisms Controlling their Differentiation and Function11:50

Retroviral Transduction of Helper T Cells as a Genetic Approach to Study Mechanisms Controlling their Differentiation and Function

Published on: November 4, 2016

11.5K

Related Concept Videos

Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity01:28

Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity

Reciprocity in attraction is fundamental to social and romantic relationships, shaping how individuals form and maintain connections. The psychological principle underlying this phenomenon is that people tend to like those who express liking toward them. Balance theory supports this tendency, suggesting that mutual attraction fosters psychological harmony, whereas one-sided affection leads to discomfort and cognitive dissonance.The Psychological Mechanisms Behind ReciprocityWhen individuals...
191
Relationship Growth01:27

Relationship Growth

Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...
157
Inclusive Fitness00:57

Inclusive Fitness

Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
37.0K
Empathy02:34

Empathy

Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor. 
10.0K
Equity Theory01:26

Equity Theory

Equity theory explains how our sense of fairness influences the dynamics of close relationships. Rooted in social psychology, the theory posits that individuals evaluate fairness by comparing the ratio of their contributions to the rewards they receive. Relationship satisfaction is highest when these ratios are perceived as balanced between partners, promoting mutual reciprocity and a sense of justice.Equity vs. Equality in RelationshipsEquity is distinct from equality. Fairness does not...
204
Nonconscious Mimicry01:13

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
5.0K