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The effect of the type of resources on the Children’s resource allocation in the dictator game

  • THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
  • 2015, 28(1), pp.101-116
  • Publisher : The Korean Society For Developmental Psychology
  • Research Area : Social Science > Psychological Science

천영운 1 Ghim, Hei-rhee 2

1충북대학교 심리학과
2충북대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examined the different patterns of resource allocation behaviors based on the types of resources in the dictator game. Specifically, we tested whether children distributed more resources that were gained free of charge compared to those gained via effort. Additionally, we looked at whether the amount of distributed resources in the dictator game had correlations with the children’s prosocial behaviors in everyday life. A total of 88 Korean children in the 2nd and 5th grades participated. Children were randomly assigned to either the free-of-charge resource or the effort resource condition; in the free-of-charge resource condition, resources were given to the children without any effort, but in the effort resource condition, the children received resources as a reward for winning a card game. Children’s prosocial behaviors in everyday life were measured by teachers using the Modified Prosocial Behavior Questionnaire (Doscher, 1985). The results showed that, first, children distributed more resources in the free-of-charge resource condition compared to those in the effort resource condition with marginal significance. In addition, the amount of the distributed resources differed according to sex and age. That is, girls and 5th graders distributed more resources compared to boys and 2nd graders. Second, the Modified Prosocial Behavior Questionnaire scores were not correlated with the amount of resources distributed to other children in the dictator games. This suggests that the resource allocation in the dictator game may not reflect children’s everyday prosocial behaviors.

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