About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 13. Moral Development

Abstract

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The “right” thing to do in a market is to distribute resources differentially based strictly on amount offered. However, the buyers might also differ in their needs for the resources. How to allocate resources between two buyers whose needs conflict with the amount they offer forms a moral dilemma as to distributive justice. We investigated how 5-6-year-old and 9-10-year-old children and adults solve this dilemma when allocating necessary and luxury resources between two buyers with such conflicts. In two studies, we separately set monetary exchange (buyers using money to exchange for goods) and barter exchange (buyers using other items to exchange for goods) situations, with the latter being more familiar to children.
In baseline conditions, for both studies, participants of all age groups favored the recipient who was in greater need (no offer information presented) and the recipient who offered more (no need information presented), and there were developmental increases in the considerations for needs and offers respectively. In the conflict condition in which we pitted needs against offers (i.e., a buyer needed the resources more but offered less money vs. a buyer needed the resources less but offered more money), developmental changes emerged.
In study 1 (N = 96, including 32 5-6-year-olds, 32 9-10-year-olds, and 32 adults) when buyers used money (coins) to exchange for goods, we found that: 1) only 5-6-year-olds and 9-10-year-olds distributed more resources to the recipient in greater need despite the lower offer, although the distribution patterns in the two groups were different. Specifically, 5-6-year-old children valued needs only, and did not distinguish between necessary and luxury resources; whereas 9-10-year-old children incorporated the concerns for needs and offers into their allocation, though they weighed needs more heavily and did so to a larger extent when distributing necessary resources than luxury ones. 2) Adults valued offers more than children did. That is, adults weighed offers and needs equally when allocating necessary resources and gave higher priority to offers when allocating luxury resources.
In study 2 (N = 96, including 32 5-6-year-olds, 32 9-10-year-olds, and 32 adults) when buyers used other items (beautiful stones) for exchange, we found that: 1) 5-6-year-olds and 9-10-year-olds still distributed more resources to the recipient with greater need, with 5-6-year-olds focusing only on needs and 9-10-year-olds considering both others’ needs and offers. However, neither age group distinguished between the types of resources. 2) Adults weighed needs more when allocating necessary resources, and prioritized offers when allocating luxury resources.
Overall, the research demonstrates that children initially value only others’ needs but not offers in market exchange. However, with age, they increasingly incorporate market norms into their resource allocation decisions. Older children still value others’ needs, but this consideration is weakened by the concern of market norms. For adults, other’ needs is further devalued, even being overtaken by market norms. The current research provides novel insights into the development of fairness concerns by showing how children resolve conflicts between others’ needs and offers in market settings.

Author information

Author	Role
Yufei Zong, Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine	Presenting author
Zhen Zhang, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences	Non-presenting author
Yan Wang, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University	Non-presenting author
Qingfen Hu, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University	Non-presenting author

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