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Family Income Affects Children’s Altruistic Behavior in the Dictator Game

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  • Yongxiang Chen
  • Liqi Zhu
  • Zhe Chen

Abstract

This study aimed to examine how family income and social distance influence young rural Chinese children’s altruistic behavior in the dictator game (DG). A total of 469 four-year-old children from eight rural areas in China, including many children left behind by parents who had migrated to urban areas for work, played the DG. Stickers comprised the resource, while recipients in the game were assumed to be either their friends or strangers, with the social distance (i.e., strangers compared to friends) as a between-subjects variable. Children donated significantly more stickers to their friends than to strangers. Moreover, children from lower income families donated more stickers than children from higher income families. However, no gender and parental migrant status differences in children’s prosocial behaviors were evident in this sample. Findings of this study suggest that children’s altruistic behaviours to peers are influenced by family characteristics since preschool age. The probable influence of local socialization practices on development and the possible adaptive significance were discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongxiang Chen & Liqi Zhu & Zhe Chen, 2013. "Family Income Affects Children’s Altruistic Behavior in the Dictator Game," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-1, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0080419
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080419
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ernst Fehr & Helen Bernhard & Bettina Rockenbach, 2008. "Egalitarianism in young children," Nature, Nature, vol. 454(7208), pages 1079-1083, August.
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    1. Zhou, Yexin & Chen, Siwei & Chen, Yefeng & Vollan, Björn, 2022. "Does parental migration impede the development of the cooperative preferences in their left-behind children? Evidence from a large-scale field experiment in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Martin Korndörfer & Boris Egloff & Stefan C. Schmukle, 2015. "A Large Scale Test of the Effect of Social Class on Prosocial Behavior," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 808, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. Bindra, Parampreet Christopher & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Lergetporer, Philipp, 2020. "Discrimination at young age: Experimental evidence from preschool children," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 55-70.
    4. Matías Strehl Pessina, 2022. "Sectores de altos ingresos y preferencias por redistribución," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 22-15, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    5. Pulickal, Anuvinda & Chakravarty, Sujoy, 2023. "Subject confusion and task non-completion: Methodological insights from an artefactual field experiment with adolescents in India," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    6. Ulrik H. Nielsen, 2014. "Parents' Education and their Adult Offspring's Other-Regarding Behavour," Discussion Papers 14-03, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    7. Yujie Zhao & Xinyue Zhou, 2022. "Income and geographically constrained generosity," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 766-787, June.
    8. Martin Korndörfer & Boris Egloff & Stefan C. Schmukle, 2015. "A Large Scale Test of the Effect of Social Class on Prosocial Behavior," Working Papers 1601, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
    9. Andrea Khalfaoui & Rocío García-Carrión & Lourdes Villardón-Gallego & Elena Duque, 2020. "Help and Solidarity Interactions in Interactive Groups: A Case Study with Roma and Immigrant Preschoolers," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    10. Zhu, Haidong & Huiru, Zhang & Zhiwei, Cao & Xiaoshan, Jia, 2023. "The suppression effect of subjective social status and tolerance for uncertainties on the relationship between family socioeconomic status and prosocial risk taking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    11. Li, Xun & Qiu, Yu, 2021. "Are more children better than one? Evidence from a lab experiment of decision making," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

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