Abstract
Research points to evidence of innate prosocial tendencies present early in life. As more complex cognitive abilities emerge with development, this may alter the expression and nature of prosocial behaviors over time. Sharing is one important expression of prosocial behavior. Our aim was to explore how children’s sharing behavior with different recipients across important social categories changes by comparing two distinct transitional periods in development. We compared the responses of 46 preschoolers (M age = 4.95 years) and 52 5th graders (M age = 9.98 years) on two social decision-making paradigms. Results showed that older children shared more selectively depending on the recipient than younger children, who shared resources more equitably with different recipients. A second paradigm revealed greater uncoupling of behavior and cognition among older children, such that prosocial behavior in preschoolers was more closely linked to their judgments about the recipient’s character than it was for 5th graders. Increased cognitive complexity that emerges over the course of development can be used to help or discriminate against others, depending upon how those capacities are channeled. Therefore, how these abilities are shaped has important societal consequences.
Highlights
The distribution of resources is a primary concern that shapes social exchanges and formation of society
To examine prosocial behavior within a range of social contexts, we looked at sharing across different recipients
What appears to be an innocuous preference for the lucky could play a role in the development and maintenance of biases against disadvantaged people and groups (Olson et al, 2008). We extend this paradigm to explore the intersection between cognition and prosocial behavior by examining whether this bias in judgment against those who experience minor unlucky events influences subsequent behavior toward those individuals
Summary
The distribution of resources is a primary concern that shapes social exchanges and formation of society. Prosocial behaviors are a powerful force for promoting group cohesion and acceptance, and one individual who acts generously has the ability to influence others to behave more generously (Fehr and Fischbacher, 2003; Klapwijk and Van Lange, 2009; Fowler and Christakis, 2010; Layous et al, 2012). Greater understanding of how children distribute resources across different social contexts and based on recipient characteristics offers insight into the mulitfacted development of prosocial behavior. This is important for understanding how to cultivate our vast human potential. The core of concern for others is evident in young infants (Davidov et al, 2013). Infants show a preference for those who help rather than hinder
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