The role of social comparison and emotion in children's fairness judgments

Children consider both procedures and outcomes when evaluating the fairness of inequality. Among adults both factors also contribute to fairness but social comparison of outcomes can override the impact of fair procedures. We tested whether this social comparison effect occurs for children between 4 and 7 years of age (N = 134) when fair procedures are used to create inequality. In addition, we examined the role of emotions is shaping fairness judgments, both when the child was a recipient and when other children were. Children received one of three conditions: Third Party, in which other children received the unequal outcomes; First Person Disadvantaged, in which the child was a recipient and received less than a peer; or First Person Advantaged, in which the child received more. Children rated the fairness of the combined procedure and outcome and evaluated the emotions of the recipients. Results showed that children who were disadvantaged recipients viewed the distribution of inequality as less fair than children who judged a third party situation. Emotions also predicted children's fairness judgments but varied by condition, recipient and age. At all ages, children who felt more sad at receiving less in the first person disadvantaged condition gave lower fairness ratings. Moreover, older children who rated the advantaged recipient as less happy also gave lower fairness ratings but this occurred in all conditions. This study shows that both social comparison and emotions play important roles in children's developing sense of fairness.