From Judgement to Action: Early Developmental Trajectories of Redistribution When Facing Merit-Based Inequality

Addressing social and economic inequalities is essential for fostering equitable development and improving the quality of life for individuals worldwide. While previous studies have confirmed that children generally support redistributing resources from the wealthy to the poor, the impact of inequality stemming from individual factors on children's redistributive judgements remains unclear. This study investigates how children aged 6-9 years (N = 137, including 67 females, all from middle-class Han Chinese families) evaluate and engage in resource redistribution when inequality arises from differential merit. Study 1 examines children's fairness judgements related to merit-based inequality and finds that as children age, they increasingly endorse merit-based distribution while exhibiting more negative evaluations of redistribution, particularly among 8-9-year-old children. Study 2 explores children's redistributive behaviours in these unequal contexts, revealing nuanced age-related developmental trends. When in an advantaged position, 8- and 9-year-old children tend to redistribute more resources to disadvantaged peers. Conversely, when in a disadvantaged position, 6- and 7-year-old children are more likely to acquire resources from advantaged peers for themselves. This study enhances the understanding of children's fairness judgements, particularly concerning inequality arising from individual differences, demonstrating how these factors influence their evaluative and behavioural responses to redistribution.