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Rectifying inequities in resource collection in young children
David M Sobel1, Jayd Blankenship1, Mary Rose Yockel1
1CLPS Department, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Developmental Science
|October 8, 2022
Summary
Children aged 6 and older prefer to collect resources equitably for group projects, demonstrating an early understanding of fairness in resource collection. This preference develops before equitable resource distribution skills.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Children's understanding of fairness is often studied through resource distribution.
- Equitable resource collection by children is less understood.
- Fairness involves navigating both giving and receiving resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental origins of equitable resource collection in children.
- To examine children's preferences and justifications for fair resource collection.
- To compare children's fairness preferences in resource collection versus distribution.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted with children aged 4-8 years.
- Participants decided how a teacher should collect resources equitably from individuals with unequal starting amounts.
- Children's justifications for their choices were elicited.
Main Results:
- Children aged 6-8 years preferred to rectify inequities during resource collection.
- Fairness justifications were linked to equitable choices.
- Children were more likely to prefer equitable resource collection than distribution.
Conclusions:
- Children develop a preference for equitable resource collection by age 6.
- Fairness concepts guide children's prosocial resource allocation.
- Children's understanding of fairness in resource collection emerges early and is unified with distribution concepts.
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