Investigation of Factors Affecting Inequality Aversion In Resource Distribution In 4-6 Year Old Children

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of collaboration, inequality type and cost on inequality aversion in resource distribution in preschool children. With this aim, 80 (39 boys, and 41 girls) children between 50-72 months (M=62 months) old took part in the study. There were two experimental groups and one control group in the study. In one of the experimental groups, there was full collaboration and in the other, there was half collaboration. The forced choice paradigm was used to measure inequality aversion and it was also determined whether equal distribution options between children and their partners were chosen by participants more than unequal ones. Using the forced choice paradigm, the way in which inequality aversion was influenced by inequality type and cost was explored (Sheskin, Bloom & Wynn, 2014). Cost refers to is whether the participant child’s own resource has the same number of equal and unequal distribution options in the game. Inequality type refers to unequal distribution options in the game being either disadvantageous or advantageous. Disadvantageous inequality is the situation where someone receives less than the partner whereas advantageous inequality is the situation where someone receives more than their partner (Fehr & Schmidt, 1999). Mixed model ANOVA was used for data analysis. Collaboration was treated as a between-subjects factor and inequality type and cost were treated as within-subject factors. The findings show (inconsistent with currently available literature), that there is no significant effect of collaboration on inequality aversion and children show more inequality aversion in the advantageous inequality type than the disadvantageous type. Furthermore, it was found that cost has a significant effect on inequality aversion and children show more inequality aversion in no-cost distributions than cost ones. The results do not appear to support a general-universal inequality aversion principle in this age group