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The development of coordination via joint expectations for shared benefits
Sebastian Grueneisen1, Michael Tomasello2
1Department of Psychology.
Developmental Psychology
|April 28, 2020
Summary
Seven-year-olds successfully coordinate by choosing fair rewards, unlike five-year-olds who prioritize self-interest. This indicates developing expectations of fairness in social coordination among children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Cooperation is essential despite self-serving motives.
- Children's developing understanding of fairness and coordination is crucial for social interaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how children aged 5 and 7 navigate coordination problems with self-interest.
- To determine the age at which children prioritize equitable outcomes in interdependent tasks.
Main Methods:
- Pairs of 160 children (aged 5 and 7) participated in a one-shot coordination task.
- Children chose between three reward divisions without communication, requiring prediction of partners' choices.
- A control condition assessed individual selfish choices.
Main Results:
- Five-year-olds predominantly chose self-benefiting divisions, leading to coordination failure.
- Seven-year-olds successfully coordinated by selecting the equal division, demonstrating fairness.
- Selfish choices were observed in the control condition for both age groups.
Conclusions:
- By age 7, children expect interdependent partners to share benefits fairly.
- Fair compromises emerge from a cooperative rationality adapted for social coordination.
- This developmental shift highlights the emergence of prosocial decision-making.
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