Development of equity preferences in boys and girls across adolescence

Meuwese, R.; Crone, E.A.; De Rooij, M.; Güroğlu, B. (2015)

Article / Letter to editor

The aim of the current study was to examine the development of equity preferences across adolescence, for boys and girls separately. Participants from 8 to 18 years old (M = 14.09 years; N = 1,216) played four economic allocation games. Analyses revealed a decrease in equity preferences with age and this decrease was stronger for boys than for girls. There was also an age-related increase in the preference for efficient outcomes (i.e., maximization of total available resources), which was again stronger for boys than for girls. Overall, although equity remains as a strong social norm, adolescents are decreasingly strict in adhering to the equity norm and show increasing flexibility in equity preferences.

• All authors: Meuwese, R.; Crone, E.A.; De Rooij, M.; Güroğlu, B.
• Date: 2015-02-28
• Volume: 86
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 145 - 158
• DOI: doi:10.1111/cdev.12290