The Influence of Receiver Status on Donor Prosociality in 6- to 11-Year-Old Children

The aim of this study was to explore the interplay between donor prosociality and receiver status using a fixed-choice resource distribution paradigm. Sixty children aged 6-11 years allocated resources to two high-status adults and two lower status adults under three different payoff structures. The donor could choose between an egalitarian option and an option that either resulted in an allocation that favored either the donor (Prosocial) or the receiver (Envy), or one in which the donor sacrificed resources to maintain parity (Costly Sharing). The results showed that the interplay between receiver status, donor age, and the payoff structure was complex, with children displaying selective generosity in which the status of the receiver played a key role.