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How differences in relatesness affects children’s altruistic behavior across age

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Date Issued:
2014
Abstract/Description:
The ability to exhibit altruistic behaviors is considered as one feature that distinguishes humans from other species Haviland et al. 2004. A recent surge of studies regarding children’s altruistic behavior has emerged. Benenson et al. 2007 used a Dictator Game to test 4-, 6-, and 9- year old’s altruistic behavior towards a classmate and found that even the youngest children behaved altruistically some of the time. Moore 2009 tested differences in children’s altruistic behavior using group membership and found that giving depended on group membership. These findings may have been skewed by the presence of the researcher Fehr, Bernhard, & Rockenbach, 2008. This study seeks to replicate the findings of Moore 2009 while using a modified Dictator’s Game and an anonymous design in order to measure 3, 4, 5, and 6-year-old children’s altruistic giving without the influence of a researcher. We found that a significant percentage of children did not donate any stickers to any recipient, suggesting that young children are not as altruistic as they are portrayed. We also found that, amongst those that did donate, in-group received more than out-group members, but not as much as a genetic relative.
Title: How differences in relatesness affects children’s altruistic behavior across age.
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Name(s): Machluf, Karin
Bjorklund, David F.
Graduate College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Abstract
Date Created: 2014
Date Issued: 2014
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 1 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: The ability to exhibit altruistic behaviors is considered as one feature that distinguishes humans from other species Haviland et al. 2004. A recent surge of studies regarding children’s altruistic behavior has emerged. Benenson et al. 2007 used a Dictator Game to test 4-, 6-, and 9- year old’s altruistic behavior towards a classmate and found that even the youngest children behaved altruistically some of the time. Moore 2009 tested differences in children’s altruistic behavior using group membership and found that giving depended on group membership. These findings may have been skewed by the presence of the researcher Fehr, Bernhard, & Rockenbach, 2008. This study seeks to replicate the findings of Moore 2009 while using a modified Dictator’s Game and an anonymous design in order to measure 3, 4, 5, and 6-year-old children’s altruistic giving without the influence of a researcher. We found that a significant percentage of children did not donate any stickers to any recipient, suggesting that young children are not as altruistic as they are portrayed. We also found that, amongst those that did donate, in-group received more than out-group members, but not as much as a genetic relative.
Identifier: FA00005836 (IID)
Collection: FAU Student Research Digital Collection
Note(s): The Fifth Annual Graduate Research Day was organized by Florida Atlantic University’s Graduate Student Association. Graduate students from FAU Colleges present abstracts of original research and posters in a competition for monetary prizes, awards, and recognition
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005836
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.