Cognitive predictors of equity-based social evaluation: Dissociation between proportional reasoning and cognitive...

Young children understand principles of fairness, including merit, equality, and charity. However, equity, which considers starting opportunities, is less explored. In a pre-registered study with 96 children aged 5-7 (55 girls, 41 boys; 33% Asian, 43% White; data collected in the United States between 2019 and 2023), we explored two potential cognitive mechanisms of equity-based fairness: proportional reasoning and cognitive control. While proportional reasoning was associated with evaluating more positively those with lower starting opportunities, cognitive control increased the likelihood of identifying the nicer individual in trials that did not call for equity reasoning. Our findings suggest a developmental trend in how children use relational information to evaluate generosity and are discussed in light of how cognitive skills influence social behavior.