Neural processing of equitable and inequitable distributions in 5-year-old children

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at investigating the neurocognitive correlates of the perception and evaluation of equitable and inequitable distributions in five-year-old children. Children observed one character distributing toys or candies between two recipients. One of the recipients already possessed many resources, and the other possessed just a few. We used event-related potentials to compare brain activity elicited by equitable (the poor receives more) and inequitable (the rich receives more) distribution. On a behavioral level, children evaluated inequitable distribution as worse than equitable and considered the distributor as mean and worthy of punishment when she distributed inequitably as compared to equitably. On the neural level, we expected to find a MFN effect between 250 and 350 ms after picture onset. Instead, we found a frontal positivity (P2), which was greater for inequitable vs. equitable distributions, indicating greater saliency and attentional capture. This was followed by marginally significant greater positivity for equitable distributions between 600 and 1000 ms after picture onset (LPP), which indicates greater allocation of processing resources. Furthermore, a greater LPP was associated with more extreme evaluations for both conditions. This suggests that the more resources children invest in processing the distribution, the more they endorse equity and condemn inequity.

KEYWORDS:

• ERPs
• fairness
• morality
• equity
• preschool children

Acknowledgments

We thank Corinna Köck and Abhilasha Boruah for their help preparing the stimulus material, Victoria Licht for helping piloting the study, and also Afton Nelson together with Sanofer Abdul Salaam for her help editing the draft.

MP has been supported by a Fellowship from the Jacobs Foundation (JRF 2016 1217 12).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicting interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Jacobs Foundation [JRF 2016 1217 12]