Children's reactions to inequality: Associations with empathy and parental teaching
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Date
2020-09-24
Authors
Gevaux, Nicole S.
Nilsen, Elizabeth S.
Bobocel, D. Ramona
Gault, Siann F.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
While children generally prefer equal distributions of resources, we know little about the contextual and individual variability in these preferences. The present work examined experimental manipulations and associations between individual differences in empathy and parental teaching of “just world beliefs”, and children's perceptions of, and reactions to, unequal distributions. Children (aged 5–8, N = 96) watched videos of two puppets receiving unequal resources in varying contexts: distribution by one or multiple individuals, crossed with taking the perspective of the advantaged or disadvantaged puppet. Age was positively associated with perceived unfairness. Behavioural reactions to distributions were associated with individual and contextual factors: Greater cognitive empathy and lower teaching of just world beliefs were associated with increased rectification, and children with greater affective empathy favoured the disadvantaged puppet, but these relations only emerged in certain contexts. Findings provide guidance for interventions aimed at promoting morality, suggesting emphasis on behavioural responses to inequality and empathy-training.
Description
The final publication is available at Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101189. © 2020. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Keywords
Children, Resource distribution, Inequality, Fairness, Empathy, Belief in a just world (BJW)