From Boston neighborhoods to African villages, kids have a cow if another child gets more goodies than they do, a new study finds.
Reacting negatively to getting the short end of the stick develops at younger ages in Western nations than elsewhere, say Boston University psychologist Peter Blake and his colleagues. Culture influences the development of a sensitivity to receiving less than others by ages 4 to 10, Blake’s team concludes online November 18 in Nature.
Developing a concern to treat fairly others who receive less than oneself is another matter. Children display a willingness to forgo treats to avoid receiving more than a peer mainly in Western societies, and only upon reaching ages 9 or 10, the researchers report. Culture powerfully shapes the idea that others should be treated fairly, even at one’s own expense, the researchers suggest.
The new study is the first to examine how such fairness concerns develop in children from a range of societies.
Blake’s findings show that “some psychological motivations [for fairness] are exclusive to WEIRD children,” comments Harvard University psychologist Joseph Henrich. WEIRD refers to people from Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic societies — typical participants in psychology studies.
