Fairness norms and theory of mind in an ultimatum game: judgments, offers, and decisions in school-aged children.

ABSTRACT: The sensitivity to fairness undergoes relevant changes across development. Whether such changes depend on primary inequity aversion or on sensitivity to a social norm of fairness is still debated. Using a modified version of the Ultimatum Game that creates informational asymmetries between Proposer and Responder, a previous study showed that both perceptions of fairness and fair behavior depend upon normative expectations, i.e., beliefs about what others expect one should do in a specific situation. Individuals tend to comply with the norm when risking sanctions, but disregard the norm when violations are undetectable. Using the same methodology with children aged 8-10 years, the present study shows that children's beliefs and behaviors differ from what is observed in adults. Playing as Pr

SUBMITTER: Castelli I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4132049 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature