Young children share more under time pressure than after a delay

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Adults exhibit increased generosity under time pressure, acting more selfishly when given ample time.
• Previous research suggests a link between time constraints and prosocial behavior in adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if young children display similar time-pressure-dependent prosocial behavior as adults.
• To examine developmental changes in this behavior across preschool and early school ages.

Main Methods:

• A one-shot dictator game was administered to 144 children across three age groups (3, 5, and 7 years).
• Children were given nine stickers to share with an absent peer.
• Two conditions were implemented: 'Time Pressure' (share quickly) and 'Delay' (consider carefully).

Main Results:

• Children under time pressure shared significantly more stickers than those in the delay condition, across all age groups.
• A negative correlation was observed between waiting time and the number of stickers shared.
• Spontaneous decisions were associated with higher levels of prosociality.

Conclusions:

• Young children, like adults, demonstrate increased prosociality when acting spontaneously under time pressure.
• The tendency to share decreases with increased deliberation time, even in early childhood.
• This suggests a fundamental link between immediate decision-making and generosity across different age groups.